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March 2025
Understanding past tenses in English can be tricky, but don’t worry! Today, we’ll break down the Past Perfect and Past Perfect Continuous tenses in a simple and engaging way. Let’s dive in! 🚀
🔹 What is the Past Perfect?
The Past Perfect is used to describe an action that was completed before another action or time in the past. It helps to show the sequence of events. 🕰️
🕵️♂️ Structure:
✅ Subject + had + past participle (V3)
📝 Examples:
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I had finished my homework before my friend arrived. ✅📖
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She had already left when I called her. 📞
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By the time we got to the cinema, the movie had started. 🎬
⏳ Common Time Expressions:
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Before
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After
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By the time
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Already, just, yet
🛑 Common Mistakes:
❌ I had went to Paris before 2020. → ✅ I had gone to Paris before 2020. ❌ She had saw that movie before. → ✅ She had seen that movie before.
🔹 What is the Past Perfect Continuous?
The Past Perfect Continuous is used to talk about an action that was happening over a period of time before another action or time in the past. ⏳
🕵️♂️ Structure:
✅ Subject + had been + verb (-ing)
📝 Examples:
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I had been studying for hours before I took the exam. 📚✍️
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She had been waiting for a taxi for 30 minutes before one arrived. 🚕
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They had been living in New York for five years before moving to London. 🏙️
⏳ Common Time Expressions:
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For + duration (for two hours, for three years)
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Since + point in time (since Monday, since 2010)
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Before, until
🛑 Common Mistakes:
❌ I had been study for three hours. → ✅ I had been studying for three hours. ❌ She had been waited since morning. → ✅ She had been waiting since morning.
🔥 Key Differences: Past Perfect vs. Past Perfect Continuous
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Focus:
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Past Perfect focuses on the completion of an action before another past event.
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Past Perfect Continuous focuses on the duration of an action before another past event.
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Structure:
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Past Perfect: had + past participle (V3).
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Past Perfect Continuous: had been + verb (-ing).
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Usage:
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Use Past Perfect when emphasizing that something was completed before another event.
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Use Past Perfect Continuous when emphasizing how long something was happening before another past event.
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Examples:
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When I arrived at the party, Tom had already left. 🏠 (Focus: completion)
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When I arrived at the party, Tom had been dancing for two hours. 💃 (Focus: duration)
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🚀 Final Thoughts
Mastering Past Perfect vs. Past Perfect Continuous will help you tell past stories more clearly and naturally! Keep practicing and using these tenses in your conversations. 💬✨
👉 Want more grammar tips? Join my Telegram channel📲
I said next week LOL
February 2025
Feb 7, 2025
The Present Perfect tense is used to describe actions that happened at an unspecified time in the past or actions that started in the past and continue into the present. It often focuses on the result of an action rather than the specific time it occurred. ✅
Examples of Present Perfect:
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I have visited Paris three times.
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She has just finished her homework.
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They have lived in this city for ten years.
On the other hand, the Present Simple tense is used for habits, general truths, and repeated actions. It describes things that happen regularly or facts that don’t change. 🕰️
Examples of Present Simple:
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I visit my grandparents every Sunday.
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She studies English at school.
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Water boils at 100°C.
🔑 Key Differences:
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Present Perfect is used for actions with an unknown or unfinished time. (e.g., “I have read this book before.”) 📚
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Present Simple is used for routines and facts. (e.g., “I read books every night.”) 🌙
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Present Perfect connects the past and present, often using words like ever, never, just, already, yet, for, and since. (e.g., “She has lived here since 2010.”)
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Present Simple is used for things that are always true. (e.g., “The sun rises in the east.”) 🌞
🛑 Note: Some verbs (e.g., know, love, believe, own) are not usually used in continuous tenses, so they commonly appear in Present Simple or Present Perfect instead. (e.g., “I have known him for years.” ✅ Not: “I am knowing him for years.” ❌)
By understanding these differences, you’ll be able to use both tenses correctly in conversation and writing. Keep practicing! 💡
Feb 14, 2025
The Present Simple tense is used to describe habits, general truths, and repeated actions. It tells us about things that happen regularly or facts that don’t change. ✅
Examples of Present Simple:
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I play soccer every weekend. ⚽
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She works at a bank. 🏦
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The sun rises in the east. 🌞
On the other hand, the Past Simple tense is used to talk about actions that happened at a specific time in the past. It describes completed events and does not connect to the present. ⏳
Examples of Past Simple:
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I played soccer last Saturday. ⚽
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She worked at a bank in 2020. 🏦
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The sun rose at 6 AM yesterday. 🌅
🔑 Key Differences:
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Present Simple is used for routines and facts. (e.g., “I eat breakfast every morning.”) 🍽️
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Past Simple is used for completed past actions. (e.g., “I ate breakfast at 8 AM.”) ⏰
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Present Simple often includes time expressions like always, usually, every day, and sometimes. (e.g., “She always arrives on time.”)
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Past Simple often includes time expressions like yesterday, last week, in 2010, and a few days ago. (e.g., “She arrived on time yesterday.”)
🛑 Common Mistakes:
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❌ “I go to the park yesterday.” → ✅ “I went to the park yesterday.”
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❌ “She watches TV last night.” → ✅ “She watched TV last night.”
By mastering these differences, you’ll improve your English fluency and avoid common errors. Keep practicing! 💡
Feb 21, 2025
The Past Simple tense is used for actions that happened and finished at a specific time in the past. It tells us about completed events. ✅
The Past Continuous tense is used to describe ongoing actions in the past. It often sets the scene for another action or event. 📽️
🕰️ Examples of Past Simple:
🔹 I watched a movie last night. 🎬
🔹 She visited Paris in 2022. 🗼
🔹 They played soccer on Saturday. ⚽
🔄 Examples of Past Continuous:
🔹 I was watching a movie when the phone rang. 📞
🔹 She was visiting Paris while I was studying. ✈️
🔹 They were playing soccer when it started to rain. 🌧️
🔑 Key Differences:
✅ Past Simple = A finished action (e.g., “I ate dinner at 7 PM.”) 🍽️
✅ Past Continuous = An ongoing past action (e.g., “I was eating dinner when the doorbell rang.”) 🚪
🚀 Common Time Expressions:
🔹 Past Simple: yesterday, last week, in 2010, an hour ago
🔹 Past Continuous: while, when, as
🛑 Common Mistakes:
❌ “I was go to the store.” → ✅ “I was going to the store.”
❌ “She was watched TV.” → ✅ “She was watching TV.”
By understanding these tenses, you can describe past events clearly and accurately! Keep practicing! 💡
Feb 28, 2025
👋 When talking about the past in English, we often use Past Simple and Past Perfect, but they serve different purposes! Understanding these tenses will help you describe past events clearly and accurately. Let’s break it down! 🔍✨
🔹 What is the Past Simple?
The Past Simple is used for completed actions that happened at a specific time in the past. ✅
🕰️ Examples:
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I finished my homework last night. 📖
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She traveled to Japan in 2020. ✈️
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They watched a movie yesterday. 🎬
⏳ Common Time Expressions:
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yesterday, last week, in 2015, two days ago
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when, then, after
🛑 Common Mistakes:
❌ I was go to the store. → ✅ I went to the store. ❌ She buyed a car last year. → ✅ She bought a car last year.
🔹 What is the Past Perfect?
The Past Perfect is used for actions that happened before another past action. It helps us show the sequence of events. 🔄
🕰️ Examples:
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I had finished my homework before my friend arrived. ✅
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She had already left when I called. 📞
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They had eaten dinner before watching the movie. 🍽️🎬
⏳ Common Time Expressions:
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before, after, by the time, already, just
🛑 Common Mistakes:
❌ I had saw the movie before he arrived. → ✅ I had seen the movie before he arrived. ❌ She had went to Paris before 2022. → ✅ She had gone to Paris before 2022.
🔑 Key Differences: Past Simple vs. Past Perfect
Past Simple is used for actions that happened at a specific time in the past. For example, “I ate lunch at 1 PM.” It focuses on a completed action.
Past Perfect, on the other hand, is used when talking about an action that happened before another past event. For example, “I had eaten lunch before 1 PM.” This emphasizes the earlier action.
A useful way to remember this is: Past Perfect is ‘the past of the past.’ If you have two past events, the first one goes in Past Perfect and the second one in Past Simple.
Example: 👉 When I arrived at the party, Tom had already left. 🏠 (First action: Tom had left → Past Perfect) (Second action: I arrived → Past Simple)
🚀 Final Thoughts
Mastering Past Simple vs. Past Perfect will make your English sound more natural and clear! Keep practicing and using these tenses in real conversations. 💬✨
👉 Want more grammar tips? Join my Telegram channel (Click on Telegram)
January 2025
The present simple tense is used to describe habits, routines, facts, and general truths. It talks about actions that are regular or permanent.
Examples of present simple:
- I eat breakfast every morning.
- She works at a bank.
- The sun rises in the east.
The present continuous tense, on the other hand, is used to describe actions happening right now or around the current moment. It also describes temporary situations.
Examples of present continuous:
- I am eating breakfast right now.
- She is working on a new project.
- They are staying at a hotel this week.
Key Differences:
- Present Simple is for things that happen regularly or as general facts.
- (e.g., “He studies English every day.”)
- Present Continuous is for actions happening at the moment or temporary situations.
- (e.g., “He is studying English right now.”)
Note: Some verbs don’t typically appear in the continuous form (e.g., like, love, know, believe), because they describe states, not actions.
The past continuous tense is used to describe actions that were happening at a specific moment in the past. It often shows that an action was ongoing or in progress when another action occurred.
Examples of past continuous:
- I was eating dinner when the phone rang.
- They were watching a movie at 9 PM last night.
- She was studying all afternoon.
The present continuous tense, on the other hand, describes actions that are happening right now or around the current moment. It also indicates temporary situations or planned future events.
Examples of present continuous:
- I am eating lunch right now.
- They are working on a new project this week.
- She is studying for her exams.
Key Differences:
- Past Continuous is for actions that were in progress at a particular moment in the past. (e.g., “I was reading a book when the lights went out.”)
- Present Continuous is for actions happening at the moment or for temporary situations. (e.g., “I am reading a book right now.”)
Note: Some actions are more commonly used in the simple form rather than continuous, especially when they describe general truths or states of being.
April 2024
Some verbs are transitive, means they do need an object while others don’t need object so they are called intransitive.
We cannot make passive sentences with intransitive verbs because there is no object to focus on.
Some transitive verbs:
- Eat (e.g. “I ate the sandwich.”)
- Write (e.g. “She wrote a letter.”)
- Throw (e.g. “He threw the ball.”)
- Read (e.g. “We read the book.”)
- Cook (e.g. “She cooked dinner.”)
Some intransitive verbs:
- Walk (e.g. “He walked to the store.”)
- Laugh (e.g. “She laughed at the joke.”)
- Sleep (e.g. “They slept on the couch.”)
- Cry (e.g. “He cried after the movie.”)
- Run (e.g. “She ran in the marathon.”)
- Swim (e.g. “He swims every day.”)
Note: The verb “run”, if we mean as “launching”, “managing” etc… then it is transitive.
She runs multiple companies. => Multiple companies are run by her.
You can use this “formula” to find the object. If you find any, the verb is transitive; otherwise, it is intransitive.
What + do/does/did + [Subject] + [Verb] ? The answer would be the object
You can watch my YouTube video about Transitive and Intransitive verbs for FREE (Click here)
February 2024
What’s the difference between in time & on time?
Let’s imagine the following situation:
You’re in Tehran and you’re going to go to Isfahan by train (cities in Iran), Your train leaves the station at 6 PM.
1) You arrive at 5:50 PM. You say: I arrived in time.
2) You arrive at almost 6 PM (Like 5:59 PM) and the train is about to leave. You say: I arrived on time.
When we use in time, it means some minutes (like 5 or 10) before something starts, like a movie in the movies, a train at a train station, an interview in a company, etc. On the other hand, when we say on time, it means exactly or nearly at the time it starts. Like your train is about to leave, the doors are closing and you jump into the train, some situations like that.
Also, there are some time expressions like just in time, in good time, etc. You can watch one of my YouTube videos about “7 Time Expressions” Click to watch
See you next week 
Most of you know about the passive voice. We use it when the focus is on the object of our active sentence. You know, we can use (By + someone) to talk about the person who does the action. But, sometimes it is obvious! Imagine you have crossed a red light and a police officer has fined you for it. After some hours you see one of your friends, he asks how you are doing and you tell him what happened to you earlier. You say: I was fined for crossing a red light by a police officer. Isn’t that sentence a bit weird? I mean, who else can fine drivers for crossing a red light? A doctor? A mechanic? A teacher? Nope! Just a police officer can find someone for crossing a red light. So, it is meaningless if you say “I was fined for crossing a red light by a police officer. Of course, your sentence is grammatically correct, but you have said something which was pretty obvious.
However, sometimes it is NOT obvious. Imagine your car has broken down. You took it to an auto shop and a mechanic fixed it. In this case, if you are telling a friend about your car and if you don’t mention the “Auto Shop”, they might think someone else like your father, brother, or even yourself fixed it.
That would be a good tip for a better speaking skill. You can speak better and more fluently by omitting not-important information in your sentences.
Now let me ask you something:
Please leave a comment and tell me what the subject of this sentence is:
My car was fixed by a mechanic.
There are 3 ways to talk about your plans and goals in the future. We can use “will”, “be going to“, and “present continuous“. The meanings vary and they are not the same. Of course, there are others ways to talk about a plan in the future, but here are the 3 main ones. We will learn this topic through a scenario. Imagine that you have set “learning Farsi” as one of your goals in 2024. If you say:
-I will learn Farsi: It means you want to learn Farsi but there are no actual plans or schedules for it. It is more like a thought and it hasn’t yet been planned. But, you may plan it later.
-I am going to learn Farsi: You have some plans and you are determined to learn it. We can say that you want to search on the internet about some good YouTube channels, or websites to find good Farsi teachers. You want to reschedule your time, so you can put some for learning Farsi. Or you want to learn it after you finish this semester, etc. The point is you haven’t yet started learning Farsi.
-I am learning Farsi: This means not only have you scheduled and planned for it, but you have also prepared yourself for it. For example, you have found a good Farsi teacher and you have paid the tuition, or you have bought some books to learn Farsi or you have installed some applications to help you learn Farsi. Also, we can understand the following concept too: You are in the middle of learning Farsi. Not only have you planned, bought some books and paid the teacher, but you have also participated at least one class already. So, you are in the middle of learning Farsi. (One of the reasons we use present continuous is when we are in the middle of doing something.) Both concepts are close to each other.
Now, you tell me, what are your plans in 2024? Leave a comment below.
You can also watch my YouTube video about Future Plans. (Click here)
See you next week.
We use “didn’t need” to talk about the reason we didn’t do it (i.e. It was unnecessary, so we didn’t do it.) On the other hand, we use “needn’t have” to talk about unnecessary actions which were taken anyway. (i.e. It was unnecessary, but we did it anyway.)
A. We had enough fuel. We didn’t need to stop at the gas station.
B. We had enough fuel. We needn’t have stopped at the gas station.
In A, the reason they didn’t stop is that they had enough fuel. But in B, even though they had enough fuel, they stopped at the gas station anyway, which was unnecessary.
More examples:
1. We bought pizza so that we didn’t need to cook a meal.
2. You needn’t have cooked so much food. We’ve already eaten a lot of food.
3. Jack needn’t have bought a new Supra. I was planning to give one to him as a birthday gift.
4. David needn’t have studied so hard, the subject is too easy.
5. We didn’t need to ask the waiter for the menu, it was buffet style.
See you next week.
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