Dahiana Leal

Grammar Tenses
English
 Grammar Tenses

In grammar, tense is the time of a verb's action or its state of being, such as:
-present (something happening now).
-past (something happened earlier).
-future (something going to happen).

When do we use present simple?

We use the present simple to talk about:
● Repeated actions or events (things which are repeated every day, every week, every year).
I usually get up at 7 o'clock.

● Permanent states, situations or feelings which are not temporary.

I like him a lot.

● Things which are always true, like general facts, for example when talking about science or
geography.
Thailand is really hot at this time of year.

We often use adverbs of frequency:

sometimes, often, usually

or other time expressions like:

on Mondays, twice a week or in the summer.

STRUCTURE
The main thing is that the third person singular forms end in -s or -es. That's for he, she or it.
Subject + Verb base form + complement

For questions and negatives

do/does + subject + Verb base form +?
Does Jack like sports?
subject + do/does + not + Verb base form
I don't think Coldplay are boring.
 When do we use present continuous?
The present continuous is made from the present tense of the verb be and the –ing form of a verb

● We use the present continuous to talk about activities at the moment of speaking
I am writing a report about grammar tenses

● Future plans or arrangements

Mary is going to a new school

● Something which is happening before and after a specific time.

At eight o'clock we are usually having breakfast.

● Something which we think is temporary:

Michael is at university. He's studying history.

● something which is new and contrasts with a previous state:

These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.

● something which is changing, growing or developing:

The children are growing up quickly.

● something which happens again and again:

It's always raining in London.

STRUCTURE
Subject + am, is, are + Verb in ing form + complement

We make questions by putting am, is or are in front of the subject:

Are you listening?
When is she going home?
What am I doing here?

We make negatives by putting not (or n't) after am, is or are:

I'm not doing that.
You aren't listening. (Or You're not listening.)
She isn't going home until Monday.

When do we use the present perfect?

The present perfect is formed from the present tense of the verb have and the past participle of a
verb.
● To emphasize the result of a past action without mentioning the actual time when it happened
I have met that girl before.

● Action performed in a period that has not finished yet (the same day, week, month, etc.)
I have had several tests this month. (The month has not finished yet.)

● Action that started in the past and has continued until now. Often used with since (indicating
the beginning of action) or for (indicating the duration of action)
They have lived here for ten years

● It is used to indicate completed activities in the immediate past (with just)

He has just taken the taxi

We often use the adverb ever to talk about experience up to the present:
My last birthday was the worst day I have ever had.

We use have/has been when someone has gone to a place and returned
Where have you been?

We often use the present perfect with adverbials which refer to the recent past
recently jus only
t just

or adverbials which include the present:

so far
until now
up to now
ever (in questions)
yet (in questions and
negatives

STRUCTURE

Affirmative: Subject + have/has+ main verb ending in past participle + object

I have bought a new book

Negative: Subject + have/has+ not + main verb ending in past participle + object.
She hasn’t come home yet

Question: Have/has+ subject + main verb ending in past participle + object?

Have you seen them?

Negative question: Have/has + not + subject + main verb ending in past participle + object?
Haven’t you seen them?
 When do we use past simple?
There are several tenses for speaking about the past in English, but the past simple is the most
commonly used. The simple past is used principally to describe events in the past.

● Finished events in the past

William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet.
● Past habitual action
I visited them every day for a year.
● Events that were true for some time in the past
He lived in Paris for 20 years.

Regular past simple forms are formed by adding -ed to the infinitive of the verb.
A verb whose conjugation does not follow the -ed rule above is called an irregular verb. The simple
past of irregular verbs has different forms.
STRUCTURE
Subject + Verb in PAST+ complement
I played tennis with my friends yesterday.

To ask questions, the simple past takes the following form:

AUXILARY VERB "DID" + SUBJECT + BASE FORM OF THE VERB

Did you play basketball yesterday?

The rule for the negative forms of the simple past is as follows:
Did not/didn't + base form of the verb
I didn't like the food served at the wedding party last Saturday.

When do we use past perfect?

The past perfect is made from the verb had and the past participle of a verb

● To talk about time up to a certain point in the past.

She'd published her first poem by the time she was eight.

● To show the order of two past events

When the police arrived, the thief had escaped.

● to show that an action was not done or was incomplete when the past simple action
happened.
They left before I'd spoken to them.
 We often use the adverbs.

already (before the specified time).

still (as previously).
just (a very short time before the specified time).
ever (at any time before the specified time).
never (at no time before the specified time).

STRUCTURE

Subject + had + past participle

Negative

Subject + hadn't + past participle

Interrogative

Had +subject + past participle + ?

Interrogative Negative

Hadn't + subject + past participle?

 When do we use past progressive?
To refer to an action that was continuous (an action that was going on) at a particular time in the
past.
● to say that somebody was in the middle of doing something at a certain time in the past.
This time yesterday, I was doing my homework.
● to say that something happened in the middle of something else.
While I was working in the garden, I hurt my back.

STRUCTURE
to be in the simple past + verb + ing
Yesterday evening I was watching a film, when someone knocked on the door.

The interrogative form:

What were you doing yesterday evening?

Was I, he, she, it

verb + ing
wer you, we,
e they

The negative form:

I wasn't reading a book yesterday evening; I was watching a film.

I, he, she, it was not / wasn't

verb + ing
you, we, were not /
they weren't

When do we use past perfect progressive?

Refers to a duration of an event taking place before a certain time in the past.
● to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action stopped it.
We had been playing soccer when the accident occurred
 ● to show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the
past.
I had been living in that small town for three years before I moved to New York.

● We use the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past to show
cause and effect.
I was so tired. I had been revising my lessons for hours.

STRUCTURE

had been verb +ing

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

Subject + had been + Verb + ing + c Subject + had not been + Verb + ing + c Had + subject + been +Verb + ing + c +?

When do we use future (will)?

★ We use the simple future for instant decisions.
I've left the door open; I'll close it.
★ when we predict a future situation.
She'll pass the exam. She's hardworking
★ With: "I (don't) think...", "I expect...", "I'm sure...", "I wonder...", "probably".
It will probably rain tonight
I wonder what will happen?
★ In conditional sentences type one.
If I have enough time, I'll watch the film.
STRUCTURE
Subject + will + verb in base form + complement
I think I'll buy a new computer.
I will open the door. Someone is ringing the bell.
 negative form:
subject + will not (won´t) + verb in base form + complement
will not stay at home if I finish the homework.
I won't visit Big Ben if I go to London.
interrogative:
will + subject + verb in base form + complement
Will you buy a computer?
Will you go to the party
We don't use the simple future to say what somebody has already decided or arranged to do in the
future. We use instead either the present continuous or "going to + verb"

When do we use future (going to)?

Is normally used to indicate the future but with some type of connection to the present.
★ When we have already decided or we INTEND to do something in the future.
I'm going to accept the job offer.
★ When there are definite signs that something is going to happen.
I don't feel well. I think I'm going to throw up
★ When something is about to happen.
Get back! The bomb is going to explode.

STRUCTURE
subject + is / are + going to + complement
negative: subject + is not / are not + going to + complement
interrogative: am / is / are + subject + going to + complement + ?

When do we use future progressive?

The future progressive tense is formed by adding will be to the ing form (gerund form) of the main
verb. It is used to indicate an action which will be taking place at some time in the future.

Affirmative: I will/'ll be watching TV.

Negative: I will not/won't be watching a football match.

Interrogative: Will you be watching TV?

When do we use the future perfect?

❖ The future perfect is used for actions that will have already been completed before another
action in the future. It can also be used to express that something will happen before a
specific time in the future.
I’ll have finished my studies before I start my new job.
❖ We use the future perfect to show that something will continue until another action in the
future.
Next week, I’ll have lived in Germany for 1 year.
STRUCTURE
Subject + “will have” + Verb in past participle + complement
The party will have ended by the time you finish work.
negative: Subject + “will” + “not” + “have” + Verb in past participle + complement
I won’t have eaten before we meet
interrogative: “Will” + subject + “have” + Verb in past participle + ?
Will the party have ended before you finish work?

When do we use future perfect progressive?

➢ We use the future perfect continuous to show that something will continue until another
action or time in the future.
Jessica will have been studying English for 5 years when she moves to England next April.
➢ The use of the future perfect continuous is a way of showing cause and effect in the future.
Jessica’s English will be perfect when she moves to England next year as she’ll have been
studying it for five years
STRUCTURE
Subject + “will have been” + verb in ing form + complement
Francis will have been living in Italy for 4 years by the time he finishes his studies.
negative: Subject + “will not have been” + verb in ing form + complement
Francis won’t have been living in Italy for long when he finishes his studies.
interrogative: “Will” + subject + “have been” + verb in ing form + ?
Will Francis have been living in Italy for long by the time he finishes his studies?

In conclusion, we use different tenses to talk or write about different times.

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