Tenses

Simple Present

• Subject + Verb

• Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Verb

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Verb

Simple Present

Facts and generalization

A dog is an animal

Habits and routines

I learn English twice a week

Permanent situations

I come from Basil

State verbs (e.g. be, have, think, know) more

I have two eggs

Fixed / official arrangement that we can't change

The course starts in April

Present Continuous

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

• Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb + ing

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Verb + ing

Present Continuous

Present or temporary activities

They are swimming in the sea

I'm drinking hot coffee now

Future (personal) arrangements

He is getting married this month

I'm having my first driving lesson this week

Present Perfect

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + Past participle

• Auxiliary verb + Subject + Past participle

• Subject + Auxiliary verb+not + Past participle

Present Perfect

Actions which happened at an indefinite (unknown) time before now

We have already had breakfast

I have already been to Paris

Actions in the past which have an effect on the present moment

I have bought new shades

Someone has taken my bag

Actions which began in the past and continue in the present

John has been a plumber for 2 years

He has been our most serious partner for so long that I can assure you he's a very decent man

Present Perfect Continuous

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Present Perfect Continuous

Actions that started in the past and continue in the present

She's (=she HAS) been crying in her room for half an hour now

We've been waiting for a good offer to buy a car since March

Actions that have recently stopped

I've been waiting for you to come (but now you're back!)

Simple Past

• Subject + Verb + ed or an irregular form

• Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb

Simple Past

Events in the past that are now finished (e.g. I went to school) *

I saw two colorful fishes in the lake yesterday

Mary tried the soup but it was too hot to eat

They saw us playing football

He married a woman who lived in the same village

Situation in the past (they lived a normal life until they won a lottery) **

I lived in New York for 10 years (I don't live there anymore)

A series of actions in the past

He entered a room, lit a cigarette and smiled at the guests

Past Continuous

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

• Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb + ing

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Verb + ing

Past Continuous1. Actions in progress

1. At 3 p.m., I was having lunch

2. We were all thinking about our holidays

3. Yesterday at this time Steven Seagal was riding a horse

2. Interrupted actions in progress*1. They were talking about her when she walked into the

room

2. Shannon was filling in a questionnaire when the pen ran out of ink

3. John was smoking a cigarette when he saw a spider

3. Actions in progress at the same time in the past.1. While Kenneth was cleaning the living room, Sam was

washing the dishes

Past Perfect

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + Past participle

• Auxiliary verb + Subject + Past participle

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Past participle

Past PerfectA completed action before another activity in the past

When we arrived, the concert had already finishedIt had got/gotten worse before it got better.

By the time I watched my favorite program, I had drunk a cup of bee

By the time I got to the market, most of the stalls had already been closed

Third conditional sentences (a) and reported speech (b) (read more at the bottom the page)

If I hadn't taken my keys from the drawer, I would be able to get into my house

My mum asked me whether I had visited grandma the previous day.

Dissatisfaction with the past

I wish I had taken more food with me

Past Perfect Continuous

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

• Auxiliary verb + Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Past Perfect Continuous

Duration of a past action up to a certain point in the past

I had been running for an hour when it started raining

Kathy put on weight because she had been eating too much sugar

When I saw him I knew that he had been training

Third conditional sentences (a) and reported speech (b)

Mary said she had never been swimming so much in one day

Future Simple

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb

• Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Verb

Future Simple

Promises

I will come back at 10 p.m

I will get Mary

Unplanned actions (spontaneous decisions)

Predictions based on experience or intuition

I think he will regret his choice

When I'm 60 years old, I will be completely bald

Let's buy the snacks at the supermarket - they will be cheaper

Habits

Future Continuous

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

• Auxiliary verb + Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing ?

• Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Future Continuous

1. Future actions in progress.1. She'll be having a bath when I'm back home

2. Tomorrow at nine, I will be hosing off (=washing with a hose) my car

3. This time next week, I will be throwing a party

4. I'll be watching TV when my mother arrives

2. Guesses about the present or the future.1. They will be getting home just about now

3. Polite questions about somebody's intentions.

Future Perfect

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Present participle

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Present participle ?

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Present participle

Future Perfect

Actions that will be finished before some point in the future

They will have graduated from Cambridge by July 2009. I will have retired by the end of the year. I read 40 pages a day. If I keep up the pace, I will have read the book by Tuesday.

Thank you

THE END