POSTCARDS (2)

Good morning. Yesterday we saw an example of a postcard in English. We learned some common phrases to begin and end a postcard. Today we are going to look at some verb forms which are typically used in postcard writing. We will take our examples from yesterday's postcard. THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS When you write a postcard, it is typical to describe what is happening to you at that moment. For this reason, the most common present tense is the present continuous (is – am – are VERB ing). Examples: I'm having a wonderful time! I'm sitting under a palm tree, having a piña colada and relaxing. THE PRESENT PERFECT AND THE PAST SIMPLE We can also talk about our past experiences; if we specify when we did them, we must use the past simple (for example, did, went, saw etc.). If we do not state a specific time expression, we can use the present perfect (for example, have done, have been, have seen). Contrast these two examples: Examples: I went scuba diving yesterday. I have been scuba diving. SHORT FORMS TO SAVE SPACE It is also common to see short (abbreviated) forms of verb tenses. In these cases we don't specify the subject or use the auxiliary verb because this information is obvious from something we have previously written. Examples: Went scuba diving yesterday. Having a wonderful time! Tomorrow we will continue the topic of postcard writing. If you have any questions so far, please don't hesitate to contact us. Have a nice day!