⭐ PART 1 — What “Tenses & Aspect” Really Means (Clear, Simple Overview)

Most people think it’s “past/present/future,” but actually, C1-level mastery means understanding:

Tense = the time (past, present, future)

Aspect = how the action unfolds (simple, continuous, perfect, perfect continuous)

Your goal is not to memorize rules.
Your goal is to instantly feel the difference between:

• completed vs ongoing

• background vs event

• result vs experience

• temporary vs permanent

• repeated vs one-time action

This is how native speakers choose the right form automatically.

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⭐ PART 2 — Your Personal Weak Spots (Based on Your Writing)

From your previous texts, here are the key patterns you need:

1) Present perfect vs Past simple

(This is the #1 issue for many Russian speakers.)

2) Present perfect vs Present perfect continuous

(Nuance problem — when to show “duration.”)

3) Past perfect (especially in narratives)

(Needed for confident C1 storytelling.)

4) Future forms: will / going to / present continuous

(This is subtle and used a lot in natural speech.)

5) Perfect modals (should have / might have / could have)

(This belongs to both “modals” and “aspect.”)

6) Switching tenses naturally inside a paragraph

(C1 discourse skill.)

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⭐ PART 3 — Your Personalized B2 → C1 Tense-Aspect Map

Here is the order in which you should master them.
This route is based on how native speakers actually feel time.

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🔹 Step 1 — Past Simple vs Present Perfect

You will master:

• experience (I’ve seen it) vs finished time (I saw it yesterday)

• result now (I’ve lost my keys)

• life changes (My English has improved)

This is essential before moving to perfect continuous.

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🔹 Step 2 — Present Perfect Simple vs Continuous

You will learn:

• I’ve read the book (complete)

• I’ve been reading the book (in progress, maybe unfinished)

This distinction creates more natural, fluent speech.

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🔹 Step 3 — Past Perfect & Narrative Aspect

You will master:

• By the time I arrived, he had left.

• She had been working for hours before she stopped.

This is key for clear storytelling at C1.

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🔹 Step 4 — Future Forms (will / going to / present continuous)

You will learn subtle differences:

• planned

• decided

• spontaneous

• scheduled

• predicted from evidence

This is necessary for fluent speech, especially in daily conversation.

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🔹 Step 5 — Perfect Modals (C1 Must)

These combine tense + aspect + modality:

• should have done

• might have gone

• could have been working

• must have forgotten

This is where C1 nuance becomes natural.

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🔹 Step 6 — Aspect Choice in Long Paragraphs

This is C1/C1+.
You learn how to vary:

• background (continuous)

• main events (simple)

• reflections (perfect)

• expectations (future in the past)

This is what makes your speaking sound advanced.

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⭐ PART 4 — What Happens Next (Study Mode Step)

Your next step is simple:

👉 Tell me which one of these you want to start with:

1. Past simple vs Present perfect

2. Present perfect vs Present perfect continuous

3. Past perfect

4. Future forms

5. Perfect modals

6. Aspect in storytelling

We will turn your choice into:

• a short explanation

• guided discovery

• micro-practice

• corrections of your own sentences

Which one would you like to begin with?