English Class: Using past forms to talk about the present and future

👋 Missed Sian’s live English grammar lesson on using the past to talk about the present? 🧐 Not to worry! You can watch it now and you can practise what you’ve learned by downloading a free English worksheet here. 👉downloads.bbc....

[@lilianaliliana6760]

Your explanations are so natural and productive!❤ My school teacher never used these structures!A lot of thanks ❤

[@bbclearningenglish]

Glad you like them!

[@TheLordskate]

Sian are you a master . thanks for all your help.

[@saharbiglari7057]

I have never heard this Grammer ,and it is so useful for enthusiastic English learners . Thx a lot to such a practical training video. I hope your company was made progress in whole continents.

[@saharbiglari7057]

I wish I had a baby

[@WilliamG-io3oh]

Thank you
The grammar lesson are very useful to me.
It is sample and direct.
I am learning with you
Dear team of BBC learning English
👍

[@enriquegonzalez7390]

It was a great lesson. Exceptional!

[@cahyadesthian.widigda]

5:26 "it's time + past" to sound more urgent
11:06 past continuous to sound less certain
13:34 past forms to sound less direct or more polite
17:11 "suppose" / "what if + past" for unreal situation
19:58 "wish + past" to make wishes about the present

[@abadalrhmazkoo922]

It is a great lesson to recycle my English grammar, which should be, from time to time. BBC learning English thank so much ❤️ for this useful video!

[@JaimeMartinez-yo6bu]

Hello Sian, great lesson. I have learned a lot. New ways to use verbs in their past form, but the sentence is not related with the past. Thanks, Sian for your awesome explanation.

[@Marialex3]

Hello, greetings from Colombia 😊

[@KhalidRaza-ds1ld]

It is a great lesson

[@shanmukhsai6440]

Hello, from 🇮🇳India

[@jamh10]

Hi from Spain!

[@АлександрГорбунов-т8м]

It's high time to make a brake

[@joseoran9641]

Hello from Mexico

[@ulistephanynapitupulu1218]

I'm from Indonesia. Hi to you

[@masoodmoradi3039]

Hi this is Masood from UK

[@yveskomba3295]

Hello everyone I'm Komba bi Gadou from ivory coast, it's my first time

[@flaviaferretti8021]

Hi, Flavia from Genova Italy

[@nilbilgin1318]

Hello,from Turkey

[@kissa2158]

Wonderful subject! Thank you, dear Sian. Will there be something similar about present and future?

[@123Nahar]

Hi I' m Refa from Bangladesh

[@mr_sumon]

Hello my name is Sumon Islam I'm from Bangladesh me New here from spiking English

[@reeazizi2190]

Hi I’m Reena In UK

[@khempgautam398]

Kem from bhutan 🇧🇹🇧🇹🇧🇹

[@marmezquita]

2!!

[@saraa9r]

I wish I learn english❤

[@nilbilgin1318]

2,3,4

[@kunhartv9699]

Altaf Hussain from KSA

[@flaviaferretti8021]

2&3

[@WangLanYing]

2.3.4

[@user-avinash07]

Hi I'm avinash from india 🇮🇳 ☺️

[@skduwal]

I'm from nepal

[@Alexroy25]

500th like from me

[@chuyen-ngo]

What if you lost your job, what would you do?

[@iveesplastics1342]

2

[@tan9kwa]

I was wondering if I could study in your kitchen again. 😊

[@bbclearningenglish]

Not anymore! We're definitely back in the office 😁

[@reeazizi2190]

2,3

[@MN-ii7ng]

Hello from Afghanistan 🙏❤️

[@ivansakovich7653]

Hello from Belarus

[@basicknowledge4553]

Hello; from Algeria l would like to speak English soon

[@naturelovefoodie1906]

Hey 👋🏻

[@karremanjulamanjula9772]

2 3

[@flaviaferretti8021]

B

[@malagadad2563]

1

[@bekmurodsobirov608]

Hello I am from asia

[@flaviaferretti8021]

I was wondering to Cook a curry

[@double-a-kash8200]

What is the meaning of saying "I was wondering if my car was ready" when I think it should be like "I was wondering if my car is ready"?

[@flaviaferretti8021]

Bye see u next Thursday

[@yakamoz1108]

I tried to make example sentence. So, the following is true? "You and Jenney are dating on and off for ages. Is it about time that you settled down?"

[@saraa9r]

Hi guys

[@MdAlamgirHossain801]

Bangladesh

[@YASHJAIN-cr9zo]

Hii i am from india

[@goldmans938]

hi i’m kingdom

[@naturelovefoodie1906]

A

[@muththuyogeswari2646]

Hi

[@chuyen-ngo]

It is time we went to bed as we have just few hours to sleep

[@WangLanYing]

b

[@alexanderwilde8259]

I'm so Sorry i can't follow live English, but my book Is selling like hot cakes. My publisher wants the second One 😂😂😜

[@flaviaferretti8021]

What If you left

[@flaviaferretti8021]

Lost... right

[@flaviaferretti8021]

B

[@flaviaferretti8021]

I Wish i lived

[@nilbilgin1318]

a

[@Studend2030]

not download

[@flaviaferretti8021]

I was wondering if I can borrow my boss's car

[@ulistephanynapitupulu1218]

What if you lost your job! What would you do
I wish I had more time
I wish I lived near my family
I was hoping if I could borrow your car
It's time you had a haircut
I was thinking of cooking a curry
Suppose I won a million pounds
I wish I were taller
Suppose I lived and worked overseas

[@ulistephanynapitupulu1218]

It's high time I got into a relationship
I was thinking of having a new laptop..
Suppose I could live and work overseas

[@tissakarunaratne5042]

It's time to went to bed.

[@irinav2221]

Can I say " I'm wondering if my car is ready?"

[@bbclearningenglish]

Yes, you can!

[@veenanarwani761]

😢

[@flaviaferretti8021]

i Wish I were taller

[@flaviaferretti8021]

What If I won a milioni pounds

[@day-to-dayenglish4972]

it's time we went to bed

[@tumusiimecaroline2811]

It’s high time you go to bed

[@lafritegaming7713]

But...

[@chuyen-ngo]

I was wondering if you had my wallet

[@flaviaferretti8021]

It'time you got a new haircut

[@flaviaferretti8021]

You better go to bed

[@saraa9r]

2

[@double-a-kash8200]

What is the meaning of saying "I was wondering if my car was ready" when I think it should be like "I was wondering if my car is ready"?

[@bbclearningenglish]

You can use both, but when you use the past form it makes your language less direct and so more polite. People will understand both of course, but knowing this may help you to understand native speakers better :)

[@double-a-kash8200]

@@bbclearningenglish okay.
Well, what do you mean by less direct?

[@chuyen-ngo]

B

[@nilbilgin1318]

A

[@karremanjulamanjula9772]

Hi

[@eshaalali5417]

2

[@naturelovefoodie1906]

2

[@chuyen-ngo]

B

[@chuyen-ngo]

B

[@chuyen-ngo]

A

[@malagadad2563]

A

[@malagadad2563]

A

[@eshaalali5417]

A

[@flaviaferretti8021]

A

[@francescofranchi742]

A

[@karremanjulamanjula9772]

A

[@cabdiqaadirmahdi1632]

hi

[@nilsonstar847]

Hi

[@wihangaminiwan]

Hi