7. tenses of verbs

English

VERB TENSES

Simple Present Tense

Otherwise known as the

Timeless Present

Simple Present Tense is used:When you are referring to habitual actions--actions that

you always or never doWhen you are referring to unchanging truthsWhen you are making general statements of factWhen you talk about scheduled events in the near future

Examples(habit) He always comes late to class.(unchanging truth) The sun rises in the east.(general statement of fact) They are friendly. (talks about scheduled events in the near future.) The

train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

simple present tense

IndicatorsAlways Whenever Everyday

Usually Often Frequently

Sometimes Rarely Occasionally

never

simple present tense

FormI study I wait

You study You wait

S/he/it studies s/he/it waits

We study we wait

They study they wait

simple present tense

Examples I play tennis.She does not play tennis.Does he play tennis?The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.The train does not leave at 9 AM.When does the train usually leave?

Note:

ADVERB PLACEMENTThe examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.Examples:You only speak English.Do you only speak English?

ACTIVE / PASSIVEExamples:Once a week, Tom cleans the car. ACTIVEOnce a week, the car is cleaned by Tom. PASSIVE

Simple Past Tense

The Simple Past Tense is Used:When an activity or situation began and ended at a

particular time in the past--in other words, when an activity or situation is completed in the past

To refer to past habitscan also be used to describe past facts or generalizations

which are no longer true.

Examples(Completed action in the past) He was late to class

yesterday. (Completed action in the past) We arrived three weeks

ago.(Past habit) She always wrote a letter to her mother on

Sunday night.(past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.)

She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.

Simple Past Tense

IndicatorsLast night, week, year, month, Saturday,semester, etc.

Yesterday

ago

Simple Past Tense

FormI studied I waited

You studied You waited

S/he/it studied S/he/it waited

We studied We waited

They studied They waited

Simple Past Tense

Examples Sandy studied Japanese for five years.Al studied French when I was a child.Mark played the violin.He didn't play the piano.Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?He didn't like tomatoes before.Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.

Future Tense

The Future Tense is Used:To indicate that an activity or event will take place at a

time in the future

ExamplesWhen I’m retired, I’m going to travel.Next week, we will work on punctuation.He is going to get his car fixed tomorrow.Our plane departs at noon next Friday.

Future

IndicatorsTomorrow

Next Saturday, week, month, year, etc.

Future

Form 1I will stay I'll stay

You will stay You'll stay

S/he/it will stay S/he/it'll stay

We will stay We'll stay

They will stay They'll stay

Future

Form 2I am going to stay I'm going to stay

You are going to stay You're going to stay

S/he/it is going to stay S/he/it's going to stay

We are going to stay We're going to stay

They are going tostay

They're going to stay

Future

Form 3Sometimes the simple present tense or thepresent progressive tense are used to express afuture meaning. Usually these tenses are usedwhen scheduled events are being discussed.I arrive I am arriving

You arrive You are arriving

S/he/it arrives S/he/it is arriving

We arrive We are arriving

They arrive They are arriving

Future Tense

The Present Perfect

The Present Perfect is Used: When an activity happened at an unspecified time in the past

(before the present) When an activity has been repeated several times before now When an activity was very recently completed before now When an activity is not completed in the past to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity.

We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important.

You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan, at that moment, that day, one day, etc.

We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.

Examples(unspecified time before now) They have already seen that movie.(repeated activity before now) We have visited New York City many times.(an action has recently been completed before now) I have just eaten.(action not completed in the past) I have studied Spanish for many years.

Present Perfect Tense

IndicatorsBefore Ever Never

So far Already Yet

Just Recently For

since

Present Perfect Tense

Form 1have or has + past participle

I have studied . . . I have seen . . .

You have studied . . . You have seen . . .

S/he/it has studied . . S/he/it has seen . . .

We have studied . . . We have seen . . .

They have studied . . . They have seen . . .

Present Perfect Tense

Form 2I've walked . . . I've grown . . .

You've walked . . . You've grown . . .

S/he/it's walked . . . S/he/it's grown . . .

We've walked . . . We've grown . . .

They've walked . . . They've grown . . .

Present Perfect Tense

ExamplesI have seen that movie twenty times.I think I have met him once before.There have been many earthquakes in California.You have grown since the last time I saw you.The government has become more interested in arts education.Man has walked on the Moon.Scientists have split the atom.

The past perfect Tense

Past PerfectThis tense is not used a lot. It can often be used

interchangeably with the simple past because these tenses do not differ much in meaning. The past perfect tense refers to activities that happened before a specific time in the past.

Example, He had visited her many times before she died.Form: had + past participle

Examples (something occurred before another action in the past) I

did not have any money because I had lost my wallet. She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska. She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993

before she moved in with them in 1996. She only understood the movie because she had

read the book.

ADVERB PLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:You had previously studied English before you moved to

New York.Had you previously studied English before you moved to

New York?

The future perfect Tense

Future PerfectThe future perfect expresses the idea that an activity will

occur before some future time.Example: She will have finished dinner before the game

starts. Form: will + have + past participle

examplesYou will have perfected your English by the time you

come back from the U.S.You are going to have perfected your English by the time

you come back from the U.S.NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to"

to create the Future Perfect with little or no difference in meaning.

ExamplesBy next November, I will have received my promotion.By the time he gets home, she is going to have

cleaned the entire house.I am not going to have finished this test by 3 o'clock.Will she have learned enough Chinese to communicate

before she moves to Beijing?

The Present Progressive TenseSometimes called the

Present Continuous Tense

The Present Progressive Tense is Used:When an activity is in progress now at the moment of

speakingWhen an activity began before now and continues into

the future without stopping.When an activity is temporary.When an activity is developing and changing.

ExamplesI’m explaining something to the class right now.He’s taking 16 credits this semester.She is understanding English more and more because she

moved into the dorm.

Present Progressive Tense

IndicatorsRight now, at thismoment

Still

This year, week,month, etc.

As we speak

Present Progressive Tense

FormI am studying I'm studying

You are studying You're studying

S/he/it is studying S/he/it's studying

We are studying We're studying

They are studying They're studying

Present Progressive Tense

Other tenses

Past ProgressiveThis tense is used to refer to activities continuously in

progress around a time in the past.Example: They were eating when the taxi arrived.Form: was or were + verbing

Past Perfect ProgressiveThis tense is used when an activity was continuously in

progress before a specific time in the past. Example: I had been thinking about her before she called.Form: had + been + verbing

Present Perfect ProgressiveThis tense is used to describe actions that have been

continuously in progress before now. These actions are not completed.

Example: I have been waiting here for the last two hours.Form: have or has + been + verbing

Future Progressive TenseThis tense is used to refer to activities that will be

continuously in progress around some future time.Example: We will be flying over New York at noon

tomorrow.Form: will + be + verbing

Future Perfect ProgressiveThis tense is used to refer to activities that will be

continuously in progress before a future time.Example: He will have been working for 3 hours before

you arrive.Form: will + have + been + verbing

PRESENT PERFECT (have or has + past participle of verb)I have studied English.He has studied English.

PAST PERFECT (had + past participle of verb)I had studied English.He had studied English.

FUTURE PERFECT (will or shall + have + past participle of verb)I will have studied English.He will have studied English.

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE (form of "be" verb + "ing" form of main verb)I am studying English.He is studying English.

PAST PROGRESSIVE (past tense of form "be" verb + "ing" form of main verb)I was studying English.He was studying English.

FUTURE PROGRESSIVE (will or shall +be + "ing" form of main verb)I will be studying English.He will be studying English.

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (have or has + been + "ing" form of main verb)I have been studying English.He has been studying English.

PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (had + been + "ing" form of main verb)I had been studying English.He had been studying English.

FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (will or shall + have + been + "ing" form of main verb)I will have been studying English.He will have been studying English.

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