PRESENT

SIMPLE PRESENT:

+ Subject + VERB (+ s/es if 3rd person [he/she/it]) + predicate

– Subject + (do/does + NOT) or (DON’T/DOESN’T) + VERB + predicate

? (Do/Does) + Subject + VERB + predicate

Established facts and things in general. Plants need water.

(always, sometimes, often, usually, from time to She likes chocolate.
time, rarely and never) Sea water is salty

She takes a shower every morning.

Habitual activities or routines. The President gets up at five and starts work at
seven.

We leave for Berlin tomorrow at 1 pm.

Scheduled events in the near future The bus does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at
11 PM.

A man wanders into a restaurant and says he

When telling jokes or funny stories. can eat a horse. The waiter tells him he's come
to the wrong place.

I chop the chives and add them to the mixture.

When providing a commentary on events as
they occur: Ronaldo dribbles around the defender
and shoots.

"Iraq Invades Kuwait"

In newspaper headlines "Man Steals Clock, Faces Time"
"Fake Cardiologist Breaks Woman's Heart"

Verbs of perception: sound, seem, appear, "This French bread smells quite fresh, tastes
smell, taste, look and feel delicious, feels very soft and looks just great.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS:

+ Subject + [(am/is/are) + present participle] + predicate

– Subject + [(am/is/are + NOT) or (ISN’T/AREN’T) + present participle] + predicate

+? (Am/is/are) + Subject + present participle + predicate

You are watching TV - Are you watching TV? - You are not watching TV

Actions happening at the

moment of speaking. It’s snowing.
(In English, "now" can mean: this second, I am sitting.
today, this month, this year, this century, and Why aren't you doing your homework?
so on)

Self-made schedules, generally for the not too Maria's leaving for Milan after lunch.
distant future. Dan and Crystal are moving to China in June.

He's studying hard to become a doctor.

Longer-term actions.
Mitt Romney is running for President.

Used with adverbs of (high) frequency to

He is always complaining.
express disproval of annoying habits.

The present continuous must be used with She is having another baby / filet steak for
have when it is an action verb. dinner / a shower / a heart attack / etc.

She is having has a lot of money.

State verbs cannot be used in
She is knowing knows how to fly a plane
continuous tense forms.
He is preferring prefers coffee to tea.
PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

+ Subject + [(has/have) + past participle] + predicate

– Subject + [(has/have + NOT) or (hasn’t/haven’t) + past participle] + predicate

+? (Has/have) + Subject + past participle + predicate

You have seen that movie many times - Have you seen that movie many times?
He hasn’t seen that movie yet.

I have been to France. (tuviste la exp. de ir a

Francia)
Experience I have never been to France. (no tuviste la
exp. de ir a Francia)
He has never traveled by train.

You have grown since the last time I saw you.

Change over time My English has really improved since I moved
to Australia.

Our son has learned how to read.

Accomplishments
Doctors have cured many deadly diseases.

James has not finished his homework yet.

Uncompleted action you are expecting Bill has still not arrived.
The rain hasn't stopped.

The army has attacked that city five times.

Multiple actions at different times I have had four quizzes and five tests so far
this semester.

I have seen that movie twenty times.

I think I have met him once before.
Unspecified time before now There have been many earthquakes in
California.
People have traveled to the Moon.
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE

+ Subject + [(has/have) + been + past participle] + predicate

– Sujeto + [(has/have + NOT) or (HASN’T/HAVEN’T) + been + past participle] + predicate
+? (Has/have) + Subject + [been + past participle] + predicate
You have been waiting here for two hours - Have you been waiting here for two hours?
You have not been waiting here for two hours.

They have been talking for the last hour.

She has been working at that company for
Duration from the past until now
three years.
What have you been doing for the last 30
minutes?

She has been watching too much television

Recently, lately lately.
Have you been exercising lately?
Mary has been feeling a little depressed.
 PAST
SIMPLE PAST:

+ Subject + {[VERB + (d/ed)] or irregular verb (2nd column)} + predicate

– Subject + [(DID + NOT) or DIDN’T + VERB] + predicate

+? DID + Subject + VERB + predicate

I called – She / He called - Did you call Debbie? - You did not call Debbie

I saw a movie yesterday.

Completed Action in the Past I didn't see a play yesterday.
Last year, I traveled to Japan.

I finished work, walked to the beach,

and found a nice place to swim.
A Series of Completed Actions He arrived from the airport at
8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00,
and met the others at 10:00.

I lived in Brazil for two years.

Shauna studied Japanese for five years.
Duration in Past
They sat at the beach all day.

I studied French when I was a child.

Habits in the Past He played the violin.
He didn't play the piano.

She was shy as a child, but now she is very

outgoing.
Past Facts or Generalizations
He didn't like tomatoes before.
Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?
PAST CONTINUOUS: (Present participle = -ING)

+ Subject + [(was/were) + (present participle)] + predicate

– Subject + [(was/were + NOT) or (WASN’T/WEREN’T) + present participle] + predicate

+? (Was/were) + Subject + present participle + predicate

You were studying when she called - Were you studying when she called? - You were not
studying when she called

I was watching TV when she called.

When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
Interrupted Action in the Past
While we were having the picnic, it started to
rain.

Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.

At midnight, we were still driving through the
Specific Time as an Interruption desert.
Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk
at work.

I was studying while he was making dinner.

While Ellen was reading, Tim was
Parallel Actions
watching television.
Were you listening while he was talking?
 PAST PERFECT:

+ Subject + [HAD + past participle] + predicate

– Subject + [(HAD + NOT) or HADN’T + past participle] + predicate

+? HAD + Subject + past participle + predicate

You had studied English before you moved to New York - Had you studied English before
you moved to New York? - You had not studied English before you moved to New York.


 I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I
went to Kauai.
 I did not have any money because I had lost my
Complete actions before an event in the past
wallet.
 Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had
visited the city several times.


 He’d just gotten home, when his mother called

With the adverbs:
him.
just, already, ever y never
 I have never been to the zoo.

We had had that car for ten years before it

Duration Before Something in the Past
(Non-Continuous Verbs)
broke down.
By the time Alex finished his studies, he had
been in London for over eight years.
They felt bad about selling the house because
they had owned it for more than forty years.
 PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS:

+ Subject + [HAD + BEEN + present participle] + predicate

– Subject + [HAD + NOT + BEEN + present participle] + predicate

+? HAD + Subject + [BEEN + present participle] + predicate

I’d been working hard – She had not been working hard – Had you been working hard?

Completed Action Before Something
in the Past

 I had never seen such a beautiful beach before
I went to Kauai.
 I did not have any money because I had lost my
wallet.
 Tony knew Istanbul so well because he had
visited the city several times.


We had had that car for ten years before it

Duration Before Something in the Past
(Non-Continuous Verbs)
broke down.
By the time Alex finished his studies, he had
been in London for over eight years.
They felt bad about selling the house because
they had owned it for more than forty years.
 FUTURE
FUTURE SIMPLE:

WILL:

+ Subject + [WILL + VERB] + predicate

– Subject + [(WILL + NOT) or WON’T + VERB] + predicate

+? WILL + Subject + VERB + predicate

You will help him later - Will you help him later? - You will not help him later.

GOING TO:

+ Subject + [am/is/are + GOING TO + VERB] + predicate

– Subject + [(is/are/am + NOT) or (ISN’T/AREN’T/AM NOT) + GOING TO + VERB] + predicate

+? (Am/is/are) + Subject + [GOING TO + VERB] + predicate

You are going to meet Jane tonight - Are you going to meet Jane tonight? - You are not going to
meet Jane tonight.

I will send you the information when I get it.

I will translate the email, so Mr. Smith can
"Will" to Express a Voluntary Action
read it.
Will you help me move this heavy table?

I will call you when I arrive.

"Will" to Express a Promise
I won't tell anyone your secret.

He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii.

"Be going to" to Express a Plan She is not going to spend her vacation in
Hawaii.

"Will" or "Be Going to" to Express a Prediction The year 2222 will be a very interesting year.
(Will = there’s no evidence The year 2222 is going to be a very
Going to = there’s evidence) interesting year.
 FUTURE CONTINUOUS:

+ Subject + [WILL + BE + present participle] + predicate

– Subject + [(WILL + NOT) or WON’T + BE + present participle] + predicate

+? WILL + Subject + [BE + present participle] + predicate

You will be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight - Will you be waiting for her
when her plane arrives tonight? - You will not be waiting for her when her plane arrives
tonight.

+ Subject + [(am/is/are) + GOING TO + BE + present participle] + predicate

– Subject + [(is/are + NOT) or (ISN’T/AREN’T) + GOING TO + BE + present participle] + predicate

+? (Am/is/are) + Subject + [GOING TO + BE + present participle] + predicate

You are going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight - Are you going to be
waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight? - You are not going to be waiting for her
when her plane arrives tonight.

Interrupted Action in the Future I will be sleepíng when she arrives tonight.

Tonight at 6 PM, I am going to be

Specific Time as an Interruption in the Future
eating dinner.
(I will be in the process of eating dinner)
At midnight, we will still be driving through the
desert.
(We will be in the process of driving through the
desert)

I am going to be studying and he is going to be

making dinner.
Parallel Actions in the Future Tonight, they will be
eating dinner, discussing their plans,
and having a good time.

When I arrive at the party, everybody

Atmosphere in the Future
is going to be celebrating.
 FUTURE PERFECT:

+ Subject + [WILL + HAVE + past participle] + predicate

– Subject + [(WILL + NOT) or WON’T + HAVE + past participle] + predicate

+? WILL + Subject + [HAVE + past participle] + predicate

You will have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S. -
Will you have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.? - You will
not have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.

By next November, I will have received my

Completed Action Before Something in the promotion.
Future By the time he gets home, she will have
cleaned the entire house.

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS:

+ Subject + [WILL + HAVE + BEEN + present participle] + predicate

– Subject + [(WILL + NOT) or WON’T + HAVE + BEEN + present participle] + predicate

+? WILL + Subject + [HAVE + BEEN + present participle] + predicate

You will have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives -
Will you have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives? -
You will not have been waiting for more than two hours when her plane finally arrives.

They will have been talking for over an hour

by the time Thomas arrives.
Focuses on the duration of a future event
She is going to have been working at that
company for three years when it finally closes.

Future Continuous vs. Future Perfect Continuous

If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday," many English speakers choose to use the Future
Continuous rather than the Future Perfect Continuous. Be careful because this can change the meaning of the sentence. Future Continuous
emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas Future Perfect Continuous emphasizes a duration of time before something in the future.

 He will be tired because he will be exercising so hard.

This sentence emphasizes that he will be tired because he will be exercising at that exact moment in the future.
 He will be tired because he will have been exercising so hard.
This sentence emphasizes that he will be tired because he will have been exercising for a period of time. It is possible that he will
still be exercising at that moment OR that he will just have finished.