The basic forms of the English verb tenses

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The basic forms of the English verb tenses:

positive negative question

present simple

subject + verb (+ s ) I eat. She eats toast.

subject + do / does + not + verb I don’t eat toast. She doesn’t eat fish.

(question word +) do / does + subject + verb?

Do you eat breakfast every day? When does she eat lunch?

present simple with ‘be’

subject + am / is / are I am hungry. She is in a cafe.

subject + am / is / are + not I’m not hungry. She isn’t happy.

(question word +) am / is / are + subject…?

Is he at home? Why are you hungry?

present

continuous subject + am / is / are + verb-ing She’s eating toast. They are eating lunch now.

subject + am / is / are + not + verb- ing He isn’t eating. We are not eating at home.

(question word +) am / is / are + subject + verb-ing? When are they eating? Is he eating now?

present

perfect

subject + have / has + past participle

I’ve eaten breakfast. He has eaten lunch.

subject + have / has + not + past participle

We haven’t eaten yet. She hasn’t eaten the chocolate.

(question word +) have / has + subject + past participle?

What have you eaten today? Has she eaten lunch?

present

perfect continuous

subject + have / has + been + verb- ing I’ve been eating. She’s been eating biscuits all day.

subject + have / has + not + been + verb-ing They haven’t been eating. He has not been eating toast.

(question word +) have / has + subject + been + verb-ing? What has she been eating? Have they been eating breakfast?

past simple

subject + past simple (verb +ed) I ate an apple. She ate some rice.

subject + did + not + verb She didn’t eat anything. They did not eat breakfast.

(question word +) did + subject + verb? Did you eat the chocolate? What did they eat for lunch?

past

simple with ‘be’

subject + was / were I was hungry. They were in a restaurant.

subject + was / were + not We weren’t hungry. She wasn’t at home.

(question word +) was / were + subject…? Why was she hungry? Were you hungry?

past continuous

subject + was / were + verb-ing I was eating. They were eating lunch.

subject + was / were + not + verb- ing You weren’t eating. She wasn’t eating a sandwich.

(question word +) was / were + subject + verb-ing? Where were you eating? Was she eating an apple?

past perfect

subject + had + past participle I had eaten. She’d eaten lunch.

subject + had + not + past participle We hadn’t eaten. He had not eaten an apple.

(question word +) had + subject + past participle Why had you eaten?

Had they eaten fish before?

past perfect continuous

subject + had + been + verb-ing I had been eating chocolate all day. She’d been eating breakfast.

subject + had + not + been + verb- ing

I hadn’t been eating.

She hadn’t been eating an apple.

(question word +) had + subject + been + verb-ing?

Why had he been eating?

Had they been eating enough fruit?

future simple

subject + will + verb I will eat later.

She will eat at home.

subject + will + not + verb We won’t eat anything tonight.

He will not eat fish.

(question word +) will + subject + verb?

What will you eat for lunch? Will she eat meat?

future

continuous subject + will + be + verb-ing I will be eating at 8pm. She will be eating a sandwich.

subject + will + not + be + verb-ing They won’t be eating. He will not be eating anything.

(question word +) will + subject + be + verb-ing? What will you be eating? Will they be eating at 6pm?

future

perfect subject + will + have + past participle I will have eaten lunch by 3 o’clock. She’ll have eaten all the chocolate.

subject + will + not + have + past participle He won’t have eaten lunch yet.

They will not have eaten their

sandwiches.

(question word +) will + subject + have + past participle? When will you have eaten?

Will she have eaten dinner by nine?

future

perfect continuous

subject + will + have + been + verb-ing They will have been eating fruit.

We’ll have been eating all day.

subject + will + not + have + been + verb-ing I won’t have been eating fish. They will not have been eating lunch.

(question word +) will + subject + have + been + verb-ing? What will she have been eating?

Will you have been eating chocolate?

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When Should I Use The Present Simple Tense?

Okay, now you know how to make the present simple. But how do we use

it? In fact, we use this tense in several different situations:

1: First, we use the Present Simple when something is generally true:

The sun rises in the east.

People need food.

It snows in winter.


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The sky isn't green.

Plants die without water.

Two and two make four.

2: We also need to use this tense for a situation that we think is more or less

permanent (see the present continuous for a temporary situation - one which

we think won't last long):

Where do you live?

She works in a bank.

They love coffee.

She has three children.

I am married.

I don't like mushrooms.

3: The next use is for habits or things that we do regularly. We often

use adverbs of frequency in this case (also see the present continuous for

new, temporary or annoying habits):

Do you smoke?

I play tennis every Tuesday.

We often go to the cinema.

She gets up at seven o'clock every day.

At the weekend, we usually go to the market.

How often do you study English?

I don't travel very often.

4: Four, we use the simple present to talk about what happens in books, plays, or

films:

The hero dies at the end of the film.

A young woman travels through Europe, where she meets different

people, and finally falls in love.

In this book, an army invades Britain.

The main character is very pretty and works in a bookshop.

5: We use it in the first and the zero conditionals:

If it rains, I won't come.

If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.

6: Strangely, we can use this tense to talk about the future. When you are

discussing a timetable or a fixed plan, you can use this tense. Usually, the

timetable is fixed by an organisation, not by us:

School begins at nine tomorrow.

Our train leaves at eleven.

What time does the film start?

The plane doesn't arrive at seven, it arrives at seven thirty.

When does the class finish?


http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-continuous.html

http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/adverbs-of-frequency.html


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7: We also use it to talk about the future after words like ' 'when', 'until', 'after',

'before' and 'as soon as' in a future sentence:

I will call you when I have time. (Not: 'will have')

I won't go out until it stops raining.

She'll come as soon as her babysitter arrives.

I'm going to make dinner after I watch the news.

I'll give you the book before you go.

8: We need to use this simple tense with stative verbs (verbs which we don't

use in continuous tenses), in situations where we'd usually use the present

continuous:

This soup tastes great.

You look fabulous.

I think she is very pretty.

I am cold.

I promise I will help you.

Present Simple Mixed Exercise 1 (other verbs)

Make the present simple (choose positive, negative or question):

1. (he / drive to work every day)

2. (I / not / think you're right)

3. (we / have enough time?)

4. (I / eat cereal in the morning)

5. (they / write e-mails every day?)

6. (you / watch a lot of TV)

7. (he / not / read the newspaper)

8. (she / dance often?)

9. (where / I / come on Mondays?)

10. (what / you / do at the weekend?)


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11. (you / not / drink much tea)

12. (how / he / travel to work?)

13. (they / not / like vegetables)

14. (she / catch a cold every winter)

15. (I / go out often?)

Spelling Changes with Present Simple ‘S’

Put the verb into the present simple. Be sure you spell it correctly!

1. She (play) tennis every Sunday.

2. He _ (buy) a cup of coffee every morning.

3. Julie (study) French at school.

4. Luke (try) hard to be polite.

5. She (enjoy) going swimming.

6. Lucy (wash) her hair every day.

7. John never (cry). 8. My mother always (say) that love is more important

than money.

9. I hope Julie (pass) the exam. 10. The plane (fly) low over the airport




Present Simple Form: ‘be’ and other verbs - mixed exercise 1

Make the present simple, positive, negative or question:

1. I (be) in a café now.

2. (she / play) tennis every week?

3. They (go) to the cinema every Wednesday.

4. (she / be) a singer?

5. You (find) the weather here cold.

6. (they / be) on the bus?

7. Lucy

(ride) her bicycle to work.

8. Why _ (he / be) in France?

9. I (not / play) the piano often.

10. It (not / be) cold today.

11. We (be) from Portugal.

12. (we / make) too much noise at night?

13. Where

(Harry / study)?

14. (it / be) foggy today?

15. We (not / be) late.

16. They

17. Where

(not / like) animals.

(you / be)?

18. He (not / be) an accountant. 19. (the dog / eat) chicken?

20. She (be) my sister.




Present Continuous Use (Also called the present progressive tense) So, now you can make the present continuous tense. But what about how

we use the present continuous? Here are some situations when we need this

tense:





1: First, we use it for things that are happening at the moment of

speaking.

I'm working at the moment.

Please call back as– we are eating dinner now.

Julie is sleeping.

You are studying the present continuous.

2: We can also use this tense for temporary situations, when we feel

something won't continue for a long time.

She's staying with her friend for a week.

I'm living in London for a few months.

John's working in a bar until he finds a job in his field.

I'm reading a really great book. Compare this with the present simple, which is used for permanent situations that we feel will continue for a long time. 3: We can use the present continuous for habits but they have to be

temporary or new habits (for normal habits that continue for a long time, we

use the present simple).

He's eating a lot these days.

She's swimming every morning (she didn't use to do this).

You're smoking too much.

They're working late every night.

4: Another present continuous use is for annoying habits, when we

want to show that something happens too often and we don't like

it. In this case we usually use an adverb like 'always', 'forever' or 'constantly'.

You're always losing your keys!

She's constantly missing the train.

He's always sleeping in.

They're forever being late.

5: The next use is for definite future arrangements (with a future

time word). In this case we have already made a plan and we are pretty sure

that the event will happen in the future.

I'm meeting my father tomorrow.

We're going to the beach at the weekend.

I'm leaving at three.

They're coming to the party at the weekend.

6: Finally we use this tense to talk about a situation which is slowly

changing.

I'm getting better at playing the piano.

The weather is improving.






Present Continuous All Forms (Exercise 1)

Make the present continuous:

1. (she / go home now)

2. (I / read a great book)

3. (she / not / wash her hair)

4. (the cat / chase mice?)

5. (she / cry?)

6. (he / not / study Latin)

7. (we / drive to London?)

8. (they / watch TV? )

9. (where / she / go now? )

10. (I / not / leave now)

11. (you / not / run)

12. (why / he / leave? )

13. (how / I / travel? )

14. (it / not / rain)

15. (when / we / arrive? )




16. (where / they / stay? )

17. (it / rain)

18. (she / come at six)

19. (he / watch a film at the moment)

20. (we / not / sleep)

Present Continuous All Forms (Exercise 2)

Make the present continuous:

1. (we / go to the cinema later)

2. (they / work now)

3. (you / not / walk)

4. (they / learn new things?)

5. (when / he / start work?)

6. (why / I / stay at home?)

7. (it / get dark?)

8. (we / not / win)

9. (they / not / bring a cake)

10. (the dog / not / play with a ball)




11. (why / it / rain now?)

12. (how / she / travel?)

13. (where / you / work?)

14. (what / we / watch?)

15. (you / meet your friend at four)

16. (I / take too much cake?)

17. (you / think?)

18. (we / study this evening)

19. (Lucy and Steve / play the piano)

20. (Sarah / not / tell a story)

Past Simple Form Other Verbs - Mixed Exercise 2

Make the past simple, positive, negative or question:

1. I (not / drink) any beer last night.

2. She (get on) the bus in the centre of the city.

3. What time (he / get up) yesterday?

4. Where

(you / get off) the train?

5. I (not / change) trains at Victoria.

6. We (wake up) very late.

7. What (he / give) his mother for Christmas?

8. I (receive) £300 when my uncle _

(die).

9. We (not / use) the computer last night.




10. (she / make) good coffee?

11. They

(live) in Paris.

12. She (read) the newspaper yesterday.

13. I (not / watch) TV.

14. He (not / study) for the exam.

15. (he / call) you?

16. (I / forget) something?

17. What time (the film / start)?

18. He (have) a shower.

19. Why _ (you / come)?

20. (he / go) to the party?

Present Simple or Present Continuous? Exercise 2

Make the present simple or present continuous:

1. You (not / like) chocolate.

2. She (not / study)

3. We often (go)

4. He usually (not / do)

5. They (not / eat)

6. We (not / study)

7. (You / like)

8. (She / go)

9. (He / eat)

10. We (go)

11. They (study)

12. I (clean)

13. She (work)

at the moment.

to the cinema.

his homework.

rice every day.

every night.

spicy food?

to Scotland often?

now?

to the cinema this weekend.

now.

the kitchen every day.

every Sunday.

14. We (not / sleep) now.

15. He (not / go)

16. It (rain)

17. I (go)

18. How long (she / stay)

19. I often (read)

to the park very often.

a lot here.

on holiday tomorrow.

in London?

at night.

20. We (not / drink) much wine.


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Present Prefect Tense

We use this tense for unfinished and finished actions:

Unfinished Actions

We use this tense when we want to talk about unfinished actions that

started in the past and continue to the present. Usually we use it to say

'how long' an action or state has continued with 'since' and 'for'. Often, we

use stative verbs in this situation:

I've known Karen since 1994.

She's lived in London for three years.

'Since' and 'For'

We use 'since' with a fixed time in the past (2004, April 23rd, last

year, two hours ago). The fixed time can be another action, indicated with

the past simple (since I was at school, since I arrived):

I've known Sam since 1992.

I've liked chocolate since I was a child.

She's been here since 2pm.

We use 'for' with a period of time (2 hours, three years, six months):

I've known Julie for ten years.

I've been hungry for hours.

She's had a cold for a week.

Finished Actions

1: Life experience

(we don't say when the experience happened, just sometime in the past)

I have been to Tokyo.

She has lived in Germany.

They have visited Paris three times.

We have never seen that film.

Have you ever read 'War and Peace'?

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2: A finished action with a result in the present (focus on result)

I've lost my keys (so I can't get into my house).

She's hurt her leg (so she can't play tennis today).

They've missed the bus (so they will be late).

I've cooked dinner (so you should come and eat).

3: With an unfinished time word (this month, this week, today, in

the last year)

I haven't seen her this month.

She's drunk three cups of coffee today.

This week they've been shopping four times.

Note: We can't use the present perfect with a finished time word:

I've seen him yesterday.

'Been' and 'Gone'

In this tense, we use both 'been' and 'gone' as the past participle of 'go',

but in slightly different circumstances.

Been

We use 'been' (often when we talk about 'life experience') to mean that

the person being talked about has visited the place, and come back.

Notice the preposition 'to':

I've been to Paris (in my life, but now I'm in London, where I live).

She has been to school today (but now she's back at home).

They have never been to California.

Gone

We use 'gone' (often when we are talking about an action with a result in

the present) to mean that the person is at the place now:

'Where's John?' 'He's gone to the shops' (he's at the shops now).

Julie has gone to Mexico (now she's in Mexico).

They've gone to Japan for three weeks (now they're in Japan).



Present Perfect Mixed Exercise 1

Make the present perfect - choose positive, negative or question: 1. (I / go / to the library today)

2. (you / keep a pet for three years)

3. (you / eat Thai food before?)

4. (it / rain all day?)

5. (who / we / forget to invite?)

6. (we / not / hear that song already)

7. (he / not / forget his books)

8. (she / steal all the chocolate!)

9. (I / explain it well?)

10. (who / he / meet recently?)

11. (how / we / finish already?)

12. (he / study Latin)

13. (I / know him for three months)

14. (where / you / study Arabic?)

15. (what countries / they / visit in Europe?)



16. (he / hurt his leg)

17. (she / leave her phone in a taxi)

18. (we / not / lose our tickets)

19. (she / call her mother?)

20. (he / take a taxi?

Present Perfect Mixed Exercise 2

Make the present perfect simple. Choose positive, negative or question:

1. (she / pass the exam?)

2. (you / eat lunch yet?)

3. (he / read the newspaper today?)

4. (you / not / study French for ten years)

5. (they / be in London for six months)

6. (where / you / be?)

7. (we / not / go to Paris)

8. (she / not / see ‘The Lord of the Rings’)

9. (he / not / meet my mother)

10. (they / not / visit St. Paul’s Cathedral yet)



11. (what / she / eat today?)

12. (why / you / do your homework already?)

13. (how / she / make this fantastic cake?)

14. (why / I / miss the plane?)

15. (they / not / go to bed)

16. (it / rain a lot this week)

17. (they / use a credit card before?)

18. (we / have enough to eat?)

19. (she / not / play basketball before)

20. (I / wear a kimono)



Past Simple Tense

Here's when we use it:

1 Finished events in the past with no connection to the

present:

Leonardo painted the Mona Lisa.

The Vikings invaded Britain.

2 With a finished time word (yesterday, last week, at 2

o'clock, in 2003):

I went to the cinema yesterday.

We visited Japan in 2007.

3 For stories / lists of events:

He went to a café, sat down and lit a cigarette.

Yesterday I went to the library, met a friend for lunch,

and playedtennis.

4 Details of news:

I've hurt my leg. I fell off a ladder when I was painting my

bedroom.

I've been on holiday. I went to Spain and Portugal.

5 As part of the second conditional:

If I won the lottery, I would buy a house in Chelsea.

If she knew his number, she would call him.



1. I (work) in a bank for ten years.

2. Where

(you / live) when you were young?

3. She (not / study) French at university.

4. He (travel) through the Middle East last year.

5. (they / visit) the Louvre in Paris?


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6. She (not / watch) TV yesterday.

7. We (buy) a new car last weekend.

8. Where

(you / teach) before you came here?

9. He (not / think) that he was right.

10. I (cook) steak last night.

11. (Lucy / read) ‘War and Peace’ at school?

12. She (not / write) to her grandmother.

13. We (have) a computer when I was a child.

14. Where

(you / go) on holiday?

15. I (love) ice cream when I was a child.

16. They

(not / meet) yesterday.

17. (she / swim) in the sea in Greece?

18. We (not / play) tennis yesterday because it was raining.

19. He (try) to lift the box but he couldn’t.

20. What (you / eat) for lunch?



1. I (not / drink) any beer last night.

2. She (get on) the bus in the centre of the city.

3. What time (he / get up) yesterday?

4. Where

(you / get off) the train?

5. I (not / change) trains at Victoria.

6. We (wake up) very late.

7. What (he / give) his mother for Christmas?

8. I (receive) £300 when my uncle _

(die).

9. We (not / use) the computer last night.

10. (she / make) good coffee?

11. They

(live) in Paris.

12. She (read) the newspaper yesterday.

13. I (not / watch) TV.




14. He (not / study) for the exam.

15. (he / call) you?

16. (I / forget) something?

17. What time (the film / start)?

18. He (have) a shower.

19. Why _ (you / come)?

20. (he / go) to the party?

















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The basic forms of the English verb tenses