TABLE OF ENGLISH TENSES

TENSE

Simple Present
(do, does)

USED FOR 1. A present state of affairs 2. A general fact 3. Habitual actions 4. Future timetables 5. Dramatic narrative 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. An action happening now An action happening about this time but not necessarily at the moment of speaking A definite arrangement in the near future A frequently repeated action (with always, etc.) An action that happened at an unspecified time An action that has recently occurred An action that began in the past and continues up to the present (often used with for or since) An action that happened repeatedly before now An action that began in the past and has just recently ended An action that began in the past and continues in the present An action repeated over a period of time in the past and continuing in the present A general action recently in progress (no particular time is mentioned) An action that began and ended at a particular time in the past. An action that occurred over a period of time but was completed in the past An activity that took place regularly in the past Actions which began before something else happened A continuous state or repeated action in the past. Events planned in the past Actions in progress in the past Parallel actions Polite inquiries A past action that occurred before another past action An action that was expected to occur in the past An action that occurred before another past action An action that was expected to occur in the past Expressing a future intention based on a decision made in the past Predicting an event that is likely to happen in the future Predicting an event that is likely to happen based on the present conditions Making a decision at the time of speaking Predicting an event that is likely to happen in the future Indicating willingness to do something Actions or events that will be ongoing at a particular time in the future Future actions which have already been decided An action or event that will be completed before a particular time in the future Emphasising the length of time that has occurred before a specific time in the future

Present Continious
(am/is/are + Ving)

Present Perfect Simple

(have/has +V3)

Present Perfect Continuous

(have/has +been +V3)

2. 3. 4. 1.

EXAMPLE SENTENCES 1. My sister lives in Washington. 2. The sun rises in the east. 3. I listen to the radio in the mornings. 4. My flight leaves at 10:00. 5. When the curtain rises, Juliet is writing at her desk. Suddenly the window opens and a masked man enters. 1. Andrew is watching TV now. 2. My sister is living in Washington. Sues condition is improving. These days, Im reading a play by Shaw. 3. Im meeting Peter tonight. 4. Im always making that mistake. 1. She has never climbed a mountain. Im sorry. I have forgotten your name. 2. Hes just gone to sleep. 3. Jacky has lived in Maine all her life. Ive been here since Monday. Hes known her for two weeks. 4. We have flown across the Pacific four times. Ive failed my drivers test twice. 1. Have you been raking the lawn? Theres grass all over your pant legs. 2. Laura has been studying for two hours. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. 2. 1. 2. Simon has been smoking since he was thirteen. Ive been thinking about going to college next year. The mail came early this morning. Dad worked in advertising for ten years. We jogged every morning before class. I was sewing when the telephone rang. While I was sewing, the telephone rang. She was looking very ill. I was meeting lots of people at that time. Nancy was leaving for Chicago but had to make lastminute connection. He was working on his essay last night. While I was working in the garden, my wife was cooking dinner. I was wondering if you could give me a lift. Tom had left hours before we got there. I had hoped to know about the job before now. They had been playing tennis before the storm broke. I had been expecting his change in attitude.

Simple Past
(did)

2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. 2. 1. 2. 1.

Past Continuous
(was /were + Ving)

Past Perfect
(had +V3)

Past Perfect Continuous

(had +been +V3)

1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 1.

Im going to spend the whole day fishing. Youre going to pass the test. Dont worry. I dont feel well. Im going to faint. Ill call you after lunch. You will past the test. Dont worry. If I dont feel better soon, I will go to the doctor. At noon tomorrow, Ill be taking the children to their piano lessons. Ill be wearing my black evening dress to the dinner. By next July, my parents will have been married for fifty years. By May, my father will have been working at the same job for thirty years.

Future Simple
(be going to)

2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 1.

Future Simple
(will)

Future Continuous
(will be + Ving)
Future Perfect (will have + V3) Future Perfect Continuous (will have been + Ving)

1.

1.