Answers: The Footballer
I was born [past simple (passive)] in London in 1983, and I went [past simple] to school there from 1988 to 1995 when my family moved [past simple] to Manchester. I played [past simple] football at least one hour a day from 1995 to 2000.
One day in July 2000, after I had been [past perfect] on a six-week Football Association youth course, I was playing [past continuous] a friendly game when a representative of Manchester United saw [past simple] me and offered [past simple] me a training contract. I've been [present perfect] a professional footballer since 2001. In 2012 I started [past simple] coaching too.
Now I play [present simple] for Leeds United. I started [past simple] last month, and I love it [present simple]. I’m living [present continuous] in a hotel. I want [present simple] to buy [to- infinitive] a house near Leeds, maybe in a small village in the country.
Next year I'm going to play [“going to” future] for England. I'm meeting [present continuous used as a future tense] the rest of the England squad in January.
I expect [present simple] I'll retire [“will” future] from professional football in 2020. By then I'll have been kicking [future perfect continuous] a ball around for thirty years!
AND SOME MORE QUESTIONS:
Question 1: Why is it “I was playing a friendly game” but “a representative.... saw me...”?
Question 2: Why is it “I play for Leeds United” but “I’m living in a hotel”?
Question 3: Why is it “I love it”, and not “I’m loving it” like the McDonald’s advert?
WITH SOME MORE ANSWERS:
1. Past continuous for the activity; past simple for the interruption. Here’s another example: “I was eating my breakfast when the telephone rang.”
2. Playing for Leeds is permanent or long-term; living in a hotel is temporary or short-term.
3. There are about 20 verbs ("state verbs" or "stative verbs") that talk about a state. We don't usually use them in the continuous form. Click here to find out more.
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