TENSES IN ENGLISH

 

• PRESENT CONTINUOUS

This tense expresses what is happening NOW, at the moment of speaking.

 

Affirmative

Subject	To be	Verb+ing
We	are	talking
I	am	sleeping

 

Negative

Subject	To be	Verb+ing
She	isn’t	sleeping
They	aren’t	writing

 

Interrogative

To be	Subject	Verb+ing
Am	I	reading?
Are	you	cooking?

 

Special words:

Now – at this moment – Look! – Listen! – still

 

 

• PRESENT SIMPLE

This tense expresses habitual activities, the things we usually do or don’t do.

 

Affirmative

I – you – we – they	Verb
They	play

 

He – she – it	Verb+s
She	runs

 

Negative

I – you – we – they	Don’t (do not)	Verb
I	don’t	smoke

 

He - she - it	Doesn’t (does not)	Verb
She	doesn’t	speak

 

Interrogative

Do	I – you – we – they	Verb?
Do	you	sing?

 

Does	he – she – it	Verb?
Does	he	work?

 

 

 

 

Special words:

 

 

Between the subject and the verb: Always – usually – often – seldom – hardly ever – sometimes - never -        Example:  We always eat meat

 

1. Every day, week, month, etc
2. How often…?    Once/ twice/ three times a day/ a month/ a year

 

 

·        PRESENT PERFECT

a)      This tense expresses an action that started in the past but it is still going on in itself or its consequences.

 Example: This year I have gone to the cinema four times

 

b)      It also expresses an action that happened in the past a short time ago and has clear consequences in the present.

 Example: I have lost my key. I can’t open the door.

 

Affirmative

Subject	Have/has	Past participle
We	have	Swum

 

Negative

Subject	Haven’t/hasn’t	Past participle
She	hasn’t	Studied

 

Interrogative

Have/has	Subject	Past participle?
Have	you	copied?

 

Past participle: → Regular: Verb + ed = worked

                           →Irregular:3^rd column of irregular verbs = gone, broken, etc.

 

Special words:

 

just – already – ever? – never – always These words are always between have/has and the past participle Example: He has already got home

 

1. lately – recently – so far – yet (- and ?)

 

1. How long…? ….since…./ ….for….

 

1. this year, month, week, etc – today – in my life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• PRESENT  PERFECT CONTINUOUS

This tense is similar to the present perfect simple in meaning but it has some characteristics.

1. The action has never finished: I have been drinking this glass of milk for 15 minutes.(there is still some milk in my glass)
2. You can never express the number of times you have performed the action: We have been visited France three timesTHIS IS WRONG.
3. An action which is repeated  and repeated: My sister has been talking on the phone all day.

 

Affirmative

Subject	Have/has	Been	Verb+ing
We	have	been	studying

 

Negative

Subject	Haven’t/hasn’t	Been	Verb+ing
She	hasn’t	Been	Sleeping

 

Interrogative

Have/has	Subject	Been	Verb+ing?
Have	you	been	working?

 

Special words:  the same that we use for Present Perfect Simple

 

 

• PAST SIMPLE

This tense expresses something that happened in the past and finished in the past.

 

Affirmative

Subject	Verb in past
We	worked
She	Slept

 

Verb in past:→ Regular: verb + ed= worked

                       → Irregular: 2^nd column of irregular verbs: went, broke, etc.

 

Negative

Subject	didn’t	Verb
She	didn’t	Study

 

Interrogative

Did	Subject	Verb?
Did	you	go?

 

Special words:

Yesterday – last night/week/month, etc – a week/two day/ etc ago – in 1998 – when

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·        PAST CONTINUOUS

This tense expresses an action that was happening during a period of time in the past.

 

                              The phone rang

                                      ↓

Past                 2.00     2.45                 4.00                            present                        future

←------------------■---------------------------■---------------------------│--------------------------------→

                           ↑                                 ↑

   I started watching TV                      I stopped watching TV

                          │_________________ │

                                I was watching TV

 

Example: I was watching TV when the telephone rang

 

Affirmative

Subject	was/were	verb+ing
I	was	swimming

 

 

Negative

Subject	wasn’t/weren’t	verb+ing
We	weren’t	jumping

 

Interrogative

Was/were	Subject	verb+ing?
Were	you	singing?

 

Special words: when – while – as – at 2 o’clock yesterday ( or any other specific point of time)

 

 

·        PAST PERFECT

This tense expresses a past action that happened before another past action.

 

past                           1.00                         3.00                           present                   future

←------------------------■-------------------------■----------------------------│-----------------------→

                                    ↓                                  ↓

                       I bought the tickets          I went into the cinema

 

Example: I went into the cinema after I had bought the tickets

 

Affirmative

Subject	had	past participle
We	had	written

 

Negative

Subject	hadn’t	past participle
I hadn’t	hadn’t	Slept

 

Interrogative

Had	subject	past participle?
Had	she worked?	worked?

 

Special words: when - after -  before – by the time

 

 

·        FUTURE

Future is not a tense in English. It can be expressed in different ways

 

Will:   ☻ Predictions based on ideas or opinions: Next year there will be 2% rate of inflation.

            ☻ Promises: I’ll phone you at 9.00 o’clock.

            ☻ Instant decision: Don’t worry. I’ll help you.

            ☻ Polite requests: Will you open the window, please?

            ☻ Future fact: I’ll be 16 next birthday.

 

“Going to”:  ☻Plans or intentions: Next week I’m going to buy a new car.

                        ☻ Predictions based on evidence: The sky is cloudy. I think it is going to rain.

 

Present Continuous:☻ Arrangements: Tomorrow I’m playing tennis with my boss.

 

Present Simple:  ☻Schedules or timetables that I can’t change: The concert starts at 5.