Present simple

1. Repeated or habitual actions = We commute to work by train every day

2. Facts, laws of nature = The sun rises in the east
3. Stative verbs (see other verbs) = Do you understand the question or do you need
help?
4. Timetables and schedules in the future = The cruise ship departs at eleven o’clock
this evening
5. Narratives, jokes and commentaries = The player tackles his opponent, runs as fast
as he can and scores a goal

Expressions of time = always, usually, normally, often, occasionally, rarely, seldom,

hardly ever, scarcely, never, every day/ week/ month/ year

Present continuous

1. Actions in progress now/at the time of speaking = Dad can’t talk to you – he is
driving at the moment
2. Temporary situations = Sandy is at university and she is sharing a room with her
best friend
3. Arrangements or plans for the near future = We’re traveling to Dubai this summer
4. Annoying habits or actions (often with always, forever, continuously) = Our
basketball coach is forever telling us to try harder

Expressions of time = at present, at the moment, now, right now, today, tonight, this
week/ month/ year, next week/ month/ year, soon, tomorrow, always, forever

Stative verbs = describe states and not actions. We do not use them in the continuous
tenses even if we are describing something that is happening now.
1. Possession = belong to, have, own, owe, possess
2. Sense = feel, hear, notice, see, smell, sound, taste
3. Emotions = adore, care, fear, hate, like love, matter, want, wish
4. Mental states = agree, believe, consider, doubt, expect, feel, forget, hope,
imagine, know, mind, prefer, realise, recall, recognise, remember, suppose,
think, understand
5. Quantity = cost, equal, measure, weigh

Present perfect simple

1. An action or state that started in the past and continues in the present (since, for) =
Harry has lived in Paris since 2010
2. An action that has happened a number of times so far = I’ve applied for a job in this
company twice
3. An actions that happened at some indefinite time in the past when the time is not
stated = My family and I have been to India
4. When we use This/ It’s the first time... = This is the first time Robert has lost his
mobile phone
5. An action that happened in the past and has an effect on the present = I’ve finished
lunch, so I can help you write the article now

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Expressions of time = already, always, ever, for how long, just, lately, never, once,
recently, since, for, so far, once/ twice/ three times

Present perfect continuous

1. An action that started in the past and continues in the present; we want to
emphasise its duration = Olivia has been chatting to her friends all evening
2. An action that has just finished and has an effect on the present = I need to relax a
little; I’ve been cleaning the kitchen all morning

Expressions of time = all day/ morning/ evening/ night/ week, for, how long/ recently/
since

Has been vs have gone

1. We use have been when someone goes somewhere and has come back = I have
been to Jamaica three times (I went and came back)
2. We use have gone when someone goes somewhere and hasn’t returned yet =
Martha has gone to the supermarket (She hasn’t returned yet)

Past simple

1. Completed actions that happened at a specific time in the past = Julianne graduated
from Oxford University three year ago
2. Actions that happened one after the other in the past = Will set the alarm, grabbed
his keys and ran out of the house
3. Past habits or actions = When I was young, we took the tram the tram into town
every day

Expressions of time = yesterday, ago, last week/ month/ year, in April, in the 90s, in
those days, in 2003, in the morning/ afternoon/ evening, at night/ back then

Past continuous

1. Actions in progress at a particular time in the past = I was having a shower at eight
o’clock last night. That’s why I didn’t hear the phone
2. Ac action in progress in the past that was interrupted by another action = While we
were jogging around the block we bumped into an old friend of ours
3. Two actions in progress at the same time in the past = Dan was planting a tree while
Lily was watering the plants
4. To set the scene in a narrative = It was perfect! The sun was shining, our guests
were arriving and music was playing softly in the background

Expressions of time = at nine o’clock, (at five o’clock) yesterday, as, while, at that time,
last week/ year, on Thursdays, this morning
Used to

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 1. Past habits = When my sister and I were younger, we used to ride our bikes to
school
2. States = Hannah used to be very shy, but now she’s much more confident

Would

1. Past habits, but not past states = As students, we would always have lunch in the
canteen

Past perfect simple

1. An action or state that happened before a specific time in the past = It was midnight
and the children had already gone to bed
2. An action or state that happened before another action in the past = The burglar had
already escaped when police arrived.

Expressions of time = after, as soon as, before, until, when, already, barely ... when, by
the time, hardly ... when, in was the first time, for, since, how long, just, ever, the previous
day/ month/ year, no sooner ... than

Past perfect continuous

1. An action in progress in the past before another past action or time = Pat had been
training for hours when he hurt his leg
2. An action that had just finished or was in progress and that had an effect at a
specific time in the past = Amy looked exhausted as she had been working all
afternoon

Expressions of time = all day/ night/ week long, for, since, How long ...?, years before/
earlier

Future simple

1. Future facts = Tom will give us the results tomorrow

2. Decisions made at the time of speaking = Don’t worry. I’ll drive you to the doctor’s
3. Offers, requests, threats and warnings = Will you buy me a new tracksuit, Mum? If
you cheat again, I’ll tell Mr. Harrison
4. Predictions and opinions about the future, often with be certain/ sure, believe, guess,
know, reckon, suppose, think, definitely, perhaps, probably = Patrick will definitely
win the tennis competition. I’m sure Katie will enjoy her judo lesson

Be going to

1. Future intentions = Mum and I are going to take up aerobics

2. Predictions based on evidence = Sam is ahead of the other swimmers. He’s going to
win the race

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Expressions of time = this week/ month/ summer, tonight, this evening, tomorrow,
tomorrow morning/ afternoon/ night, next week/ month/ year, at the weekend, in January,
in a few minutes/ hours/ days, on Thursday, on Wednesday morning

Future continuous

1. Actions in progress at a specific time in the future = This time next week, we will be
running in the London marathon
2. Planned future actions = We’ll be giving a presentation at the conference center next
month

Expressions of time = this time next week/ month/ summer, this time tomorrow morning/
afternoon/ night

Future perfect simple

1. Actions or states that will be finished at a specific time in the future = By Thursday
I’ll have finished the first week of my diet
2. To emphasise the length of time that an action will have lasted for at a point of time
in the future = Tim will have worked in advertising for ten years next month

Future perfect continuous

1. Actions or events that started in the past and will still be in progress at a specific
time in the future = In two months’ time, Jack will have been living in Paris for ten
years.

Expressions of time = by the end of this week/ month/ year, by this time tomorrow, by
tomorrow morning/ 10 o’clock/ 2012

Present simple

1. Timetables and schedules = The plane lands at three o’clock

2. With no matter who/ what/ when/ where/ how/ which = No matter which language
class you choose, I’ll be your teacher

Present continuous

1. Arrangements that have been made for the future (with an expression of time) = I’m
driving to the countryside this weekend

Other ways of expressing the future

1. Be on the verge of + -ing form = Doctors are on the verge of finding a cure
2. Be about to + infinitive

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 3. Be on the point of –ing form
4. Be due to + infinitive = We are due to boards the ship at noon tomorrow

Other ways of expressing the future

1. When we use temporals such as when, before, after, until, once, by the time, etc to
talk about the future, we use them with a present or a present perfect tense. We do
not use them with a future tense. We use a present perfect tense to emphasise that
the first action is finished before the other one starts = By the time the food arrives,
it will be cold. Once she has read all the exam questions, she will decide which one
to answer.

Alert! We do not use stative verbs in continuous tenses