Verb tenses

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UNIT ONE: VERB TENSES

Verb forms indicate tense, number and person, voice and mood.

There are twelve tenses in English:

Present Tense Simple Present Tense

Present Continuous Tense

Present Perfect Tense

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

Past Tense Simple Past Tense

Past Perfect Tense

Past Continuous Tense

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

Future Tense Simple Future Tense

Future Perfect Tense

Future Continuous Tense

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

Use 1: Repeated actions

When something happens regularly or is a permanent situation we usually use the simple present tense.

The present tense of any verb other than be is thesame as the base form of the verb. To form thethird-person singular of these verbs, add –s or –esto the base form.

(verb + s with he/she/it).

SINGULAR PLURAL

FIRST PERSON I play. We play.

SECOND PERSON You play. You play.

THIRD PERSON She, he, or it plays They play.

Ronnie plays The children play.

VERB TO BE

FIRST PERSON I am happy. We are happy.

SECON You are happy. You are happy.

THIRD PERSON She, he or it is

happy.

They are happy.

Ronnie is happy. The children are

happy.

The present tense expresses a constant,

repeated, or habitual action or condition.

It can also express a general truth.

e.g. The Hudson River flows into the Atlantic.

(not just now but always: a constant action).

Jessy plays the flute superbly. (now and

always: a habitual action).

Uranium is radioactive. (a condition that is

generally true).

The present tense can also express an action

or condition that exists only now.

e.g.

- Ronnie feels sick. (not always but just now).

- I declare these game over. (at this very

moment)

The present tense is sometimes used in

historical writing to express past events and,

more often, in poetry, fiction, and reporting

(especially in sports) to convey a sense of

“being there”

e.g.

- Above the crowd the Hindenburg suddenly

bursts into flame.

- I watch as my sister runs after the ducks ans

slips in the mud.

- The pitch gets away from the catcher and

bounces into the fence.

Use 2: Facts or Generalization.

The Simple Present can also indicate thespeaker believes that a fact was true before, istrue now, and will be true in the future. It isnot important if the speaker is correct aboutthe fact. It is also used to make generalizationsabout people or things.

Examples:

Cats like milk.

Birds do not like milk.

Do pigs like milk?

California is in America.

California is not in the United Kingdom.

USE 3 Scheduled Events in the Near Future

Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk

about scheduled events in the near future. This

is most commonly done when talking about

public transportation, but it can be used with

other scheduled events as well.

Examples:

The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at

11 PM.

When do we board the plane?

Continuous tenses are also

called progressive tenses. So the present

progressive tense is the same as the present

continuous tense.

subject+ auxiliary verb+ main verb be base +

ing

[am/is/are + present participle]

Examples:

She is loving this chocolate ice cream.

Are you still watching TV?

I am studying to become a engineer.

She loves this chocolate ice cream.

Incorrect

Correct

Positive Positive Short Form

I am sleeping I'm sleeping

you are sleeping you're sleeping

he is sleeping he's sleeping

she is sleeping she's sleeping

it is sleeping it's sleeping

we are sleeping we're sleeping

they are sleeping they're sleeping

Here is howwemake the positive:

Negative Negative Short Form

I am not sleeping I'm not sleeping

you are not playing you aren't playing

he is not reading he isn't reading

she is not working she isn't working

it is not raining it isn't raining

we are not cooking we aren't cooking

they are not listening they aren't listening

We can make the negative by adding 'not':

The English Present Perfect tense is used to

express actions which have already been

completed, or perfected, at the time of

speaking or writing.

Form:

[ has/have + past participle of the verb ]

Examples:

In the first example, the use of the Present Perfect

tense emphasizes the fact that, at the time of

speaking or writing, the work has already been

completed.

In the second example, the use of the

Present Perfect indicates that, at the time of

speaking or writing, half the questions have been

answered.

I have done the work.

She has answered half the questions.


I have played I've played

you have worked you've worked

he has written he's written

she has walked she's walked

it has rained it's rained

we have travelled we've travelled

they have studied they've studied


I have not eaten breakfast today I haven't eaten

you have not been to Asia you haven't been

he has not seen the new film he hasn't seen

she has not played tennis she hasn't played

it has not snowed this winter it hasn't snowed

we have not slept all night we haven't slept

they have not tried the food they haven't tried

To make a question, put 'have' or 'has' in

front of the subject.

'Yes / No' Questions

have I missed the bus?

have you visited London?

has he worked as a waiter before?

has she met John?

has it been cold this week?

Present perfect continuous tense is used for

an action which began at some time in past

and is still continuing.

Syntax:

Has/have + been + Present participle

Examples:

Sam has been having his car for 2 years.

He has been sleeping for 5 hrs.

James have been teaching at university since last

year.

Sam has had his car for 2 years.

Incorrect

correct


I have been walking I've been walking

you have been running you've been running

he has been cooking he's been cooking

she has been swimming she's been swimming

it has been raining it's been raining

we have been studying we've been studying

they have been sleeping they've been sleeping

Luckily, it's very easy to make. Here's the positive

(it's the present perfect of 'be' + verb -ing):


I have not been walking I haven't been walking

you have not been running you haven't been running

he has not been cooking he hasn't been cooking

she has not been swimming she hasn't been swimming

it has not been raining it hasn't been raining

we have not been studying we haven't been studying

they have not been sleeping they haven't been sleeping

To make the negative, just add 'not':

This tense is usually used for those actions

which are already over.

It's syntax is given as:

(subject + V2 + object)

where V2 - second form of the verb

Examples:

I went to all the art exhibitions I could.

She lived in Tokyo for seven years.

They were in London from Monday to Thursday of

last week.

Use 1: Completed action in the past.

Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an

action started and finished at a specific time in the

past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually

mention the specific time, but they do have one

specific time in mind.

Examples:

I saw a movie yesterday.

I didn't see a play yesterday.

Last year, I traveled to Japan.

Did you have dinner last night?

She washed her car.

Use 2: A series of completed actions.

We use the Simple Past to list a series of

completed actions in the past. These actions

happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.

Examples:

I finished work, walked to the beach,

and found a nice place to swim.

He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into

the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at 10:00.

Did you add flour, pour in the milk, and

then add the eggs?

Use 3: Duration in past.

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which

starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer

action often indicated by expressions such as: for

two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.

Examples:

I lived in Brazil for two years.

Shauna studied Japanese for five years.

They sat at the beach all day.

They did not stay at the party the entire time.

Use 4: Habits in the past.

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which

stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as

“used to”. To make it clear that we are talking about a

habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often,

usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger,

etc.

Examples:

I studied French when I was a child.

He played the violin.

He didn't play the piano.

Did you play a musical instrument when you were a

kid?

She worked at the movie theater after school.

They never went to school, they always skipped class.

In the Past Continuous tense, the action was

ongoing till a certain time in the past. This

tense is used to talk about an action at a

particular time in the past.

Syntax:

Subject + Auxiliary verb + main verb

(Present participle) + Object + Time reference

SUBJECT WAS / WERE VERB + ingREST OF THE

SENTENCE

I was sleeping at 11 p.m. last night.

You were sleeping at 11 p.m. last night.

He was sleeping at 11 p.m. last night.

For positive sentences:

Examples:

I burned my finger while I was cooking breakfast.

I was practicing the guitar when he came home.

Next, here's the negative - it's very easy, just

add 'not‘:

•I was not (wasn't) sleeping

•you were not (weren't) working

•he was not (wasn't) coming

•she was not (wasn't) reading 'War and Peace'

•it was not (wasn't) raining

•we were not (weren't) shopping

•they were not (weren't) watching a film

It is used to express an action which has

occurred in past (usually, a long time ago) and

action which has occurred in past before

another action in past.

Syntax:

Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb

(past participle) + object

Examples:

It have not rained heavily last month.

They had visited a doctor.

I had not finished my work last year.

It had not rained heavily last month

Incorrect

correct

Using the past perfect

1: A completed action before something else in the past.

•When we arrived, the film had started. (= first the film started,

then later we arrived)

2: To explain or give a reason for something in the past.

•I'd eaten dinner so I wasn't hungry.

•It had snowed in the night, so the bus didn't arrive.

3:Stative Verbs only: something that started in the past and

continued up to another action in the past.

subject auxiliary verb main verb

I had finished my work.

You had stopped before me.

She had not gone to school.

We had not left.

Had you arrived?

Had they eatendinner?

It is used to express a continued or ongoing

action in past, an ongoing action which

occurred in past and completed at some point

in past.

Syntax:

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Main verb

(present participle) + object

subject auxiliary

verb

auxiliary

verb

main verb

+ I had been working.

+ You had been playing tennis.

- It had not been working well.

- We had not been expecting her.

? Had you been drinking?

? Had they been waiting long?

For negative sentences in the past perfect continuous tense, we insert not after the first auxiliary verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and first auxiliary verb:

Examples:

We had'nt exposed to programming before joining

the IT Dept.

Tania had been waiting for two hours when his

friend arrived.

Students had been asking for an off lecture

before sir scolded them.

We had'nt been exposed to programming before

joining the IT Dept.

Incorrect

correct

Form

A: He had been talking.

N: He had not been talking.

Q: Had he been talking?

Action taking place before a certain time in the past.

Sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple.

Puts emphasis on the course or duration of an action.

I had been working.

You had beenplaying tennis.

It had not been working well.

It is used to express an action which has not

occurred yet and will occur after saying or in

future.

Syntax:

Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb (present

participle) + object

USE

1. We often use this tense with particular

verbs; such as think – know – believe –

suppose – expect – hope to express

beliefs, convictions, hope, expectations,

knowledge and opinions about the future.

Examples

I think Brazil will win.

I don’t suppose she will be promoted

now

Examples:

When you will arrive tonight, we will go out for

dinner.

He will start a business.

I will not give you a pen tomorrow.

When you arrive tonight, we will go out for

dinner.

Incorrect

correct

The auxiliary verb going to is used in talking

about intentions. (An intention is a plan for the

future that you have already thought about.)

We're going to buy a new car next month.

I'm going to work in a bank when I leave school.

In the new year I'm going to stop eating so much

junk.

He's not going to go to the dance. He's got too

much work.

I'm not going to watch TV until my science

project is finished.

Note: going to is often used in the past tense

to talk about an unfulfilled intention.

Examples: I was going to study for my

grammar test, but I had no time.

He was going to call you, but he couldn't find

his mobile phone.

My grandmother was going to visit us, but

she fell and broke her arm.

The present continuous tense is used in

talking about arrangements. (An

arrangement is a plan for the future that you

have already thought about and discussed

with someone else.)

I'm meeting my mother at the airport

tomorrow.

Our grandparents are visiting us this

Christmas.

Sorry, I can't stay after school today; I'm

playing tennis with Jun-Sik.

My sister's going to the dentist tomorrow.

Scheduled eventsThe present simple tense is usually used to refer

to future events that are scheduled (and outside

of our control).

Exercise:

Hurry up! The train departs in 10 minutes.

I leave Frankfurt at 5 o'clock in the morning

and arrive in New York at midnight the next day.

She has an appointment with the headmaster

after school today.

There's no need to hurry. The train doesn't

leave for another 30 minutes.

It is used to express a continued or an ongoing

action in future.

Syntax:


(present participle) + object

Examples:

Jane will be being at my house when you arrive

While I am finishing my homework, she is going

to make dinner.

You are going to be waiting for her when her

plane arrives tonight.

Jane will be at my house when you arrive.

Incorrect

correct

I will be working at 10am.

You will be lying on a beach tomorrow.

She will not be using the car.

We will not be havingdinner at home.

Will you be playing football?

Will they be watching TV?

It is used to express an action which will occur

in future and is thought to be completed in

future.

Syntax:


(past participle) + object

Examples:

I am going to see a movie when I will have

finished my homework.

They will have completed the Presentation

before the deadline.

You are going to have perfected your English by

the time you come back from the U.S..

I am going to see a movie when I have

finished my homework.

Incorrect

correct

I will have finished this book

You will have studied the English tenses

She will have cooked dinner

For the short form, we change will to 'll.

But, when we are speaking, we also make

'have' shorter, so it sounds like I'll've finished

(don't write this!).

It is used to express a continued or ongoing

action that will start in future and is thought

to be continued till sometime in future.

Syntax:

Subject + Auxiliary verb + main verb

(Present participle) + Object + Time reference

Examples:

Vidya will have been having his driver's license

for over two years.

The famous artist will have been painting the

mural for over six months by the time it is

finished.

You will have been waiting for more than two

hours when her plane finally arrives.

Vidya will have had his driver's license for over

two years.

Incorrect

correct

Positive Form Positive Short Form

I will have been working I'll have been working

You will have been sleeping You'll have been sleeping

She will have been studying She'll have been studying

He will have been cooking He'll have been cooking

Negative Form Negative Short Form

I will not have been working I won't have been working

You will not have

been sleeping

You won't have been sleeping

She will not have

been studying

She won't have been studying

Education

Verb tenses