Present (Simple, Continuous, Perfect) & Past (Simple, Perfect) Tenses - BE 4 - Unit 4: Success

SUMMARY RULES – We used :

PRESENT SIMPLE -  to describe actions and situations which are generally true.

X Co. is worth about $67bn.

PAST SIMPLE -  to described completed actions or events which took place at a particular time or over a period of time in the past.

X bought Y in 1990.

PRESENT CONTINUOUS -  to describe current or temporary situations.

X is getting more expensive by the week.

At the moment, he is writing a book about his family.

PRESENT PERFECT -  to describe life experiences , the present results of past actions, or to announce news.

The company has done well recently.

In recent years, he has devolved power to his family.

PAST PERFECT - to describe an action which is completed before a time in the past.

The office had closed by the time we got there.

Examples:
 
PT X operates all over central and eastern Europe. Recently, it has broken into the Moldavian market.

Since he took over in 1999, the company has performed extremely well.

The problem with our telecom stocks started last autumn, and since then share prices at Alfatel have plummeted.

Last year profits increased by 12%, and so far this year they have risen another 5%.

Before she joined this company, She has worked for a rival telecom company abroad.

Emsa has become the symbol of the confidence our country has regained. It is also one of the 30 most successful mobile phone maker in the world.

The company was founded in 1994.

In January 2001, it was worth just $2bn.

By the end of 2006, the figure had risen to $63.5bn.

It is the largest company in our country, where it also accounts  for a substantial chunk of GDP growth.

Although ten years ago few analyst thought that Emsa would outstrip its rivals, today everyone has nothing but praise for its spectacular performance.

So far, the company has defied all predictions and manages growth remarkably well.

It now remains to be seen how Emsa will fare as ever more advanced technologies are on their way and powerful rivals break into our market. 

PRESENT (Simple, Continuous, Past)

Present Simple

Is used to make true - factual statements.

- Established customers tend to buy more.

- Nokia sells mobile telephones.

Verbs relating to beliefs, being, knowledge, liking, perception, and appearance are normally only used in the simple form.

- I understand what you mean.

- It depends on what the chairman wants.

- I appreciate your concern.

Present Continuous

Is used to refer to events in progress and temporary or changing situations.

- I will be back late, I am sitting in a traffic jam.

- They are installing a new switchboard.

- The world is getting smaller.

Past Simple

Is used to refer events completed in the past. We frequently use a time expression to say when the event took place.

- In the late 1940s, Ford decided it needed a medium-price model to compete with General Motors.

- 2001 was a good year for our company.

PERFECT (Present, Past, Continuous)

Past Perfect

Sequences two or more past events.

Before he joined this company, he had worked for two competitors abroad.

Present Perfect

To say that a finished past action is relevant now. There can not be any specific reference to past time.

- They have changed the address of their website. (It is new).

- The share price has plummeted. (It is lower than before).

Present Perfect

Covers a period of time starting in the past and continuing up to the present. An appropriate time expression takes up to now.

- So far, the company has defied predictions that its rival will catch up.

- She has been one of the leading fashion designer since the mid-1990s.

- He has been acting strangely lately.

- Over the last few years, e-commerce has become fashionable.

Tenses

In recent years, Slim has begun to stretch his tentacles north. – Present Perfect

Aged 11, he invested in government saving bonds. – Past Simple

He remains frugal in his tastes. – Present Simple

By 15, he had brought a very small shareholding in X – Past Perfect

Slim is currently looking at investing in distressed assets. – Present Continuous.

APPLE

The Company

Apple reinvented the personal computer with the Macintosh in 1980s.

It has highest brand loyalty of any computer manufacturer.

It operates more than 250 retail stores.

It has informal culture.

History

Apple started in Cupertino, California, April 1, 1976.

October 23, 2001, it introduced the iPod digital music player.

Since it was formed 1976, it has employed over 75,000 people worldwide.

Recent Events

Recently it has been ranked as most admired company overall in fortune survey.

People in survey by Cool-Brands has recently voted the iPhone as world’s coolest brand.

September 28, 2009 downloads from App Store surpassed 2 billion.

What is doing now

Currently it is experiencing the greatest expansion in its history.

It is now focusing on its software than ever.

At time of writing, it is offering students a free iPod Touch with the purchase of a MacBook.