English Intensive – Useful summary information and examples of Tenses and Aspects of Tenses

By Maurice Burnett

ASPECT Explanation Past Present Future

Simple Think of this as I stayed ……. I live ……. I will live …….
something done You stayed ….. You live ……. You will live …….
generally by a He / She / It / watched …… He / She / It / lives ……. He / She / It / will live …….
subject. We / You / They / Stayed …… We / You / They / live ……. We / You / They / will live …….
e.g. To Breath.
Continuous Think of this as an I was walking …… I am walking …… I will be walking ……
actual instance of You were walking ……. You are walking ……. You will be walking …….
an action / or He / She / It / was walking ……. He / She / It / is walking ……. He / She / It / will be walking …….
activity. e.g. To We / You / They / were walking We / You / They / are walking … We / You / They / will be walking ….
Walk. …….
Perfect Think of this as an I …… I have made ……. I will have made ……..
actual instance of You had walked ……. You have made ……. You will have made ……..
an action / or He / She / It / had walked ……. He / She / It / has made ……. He / She / It / will have made …..
activity, that has We / You / They / had walked ….. We / You / They / have made ……. We / You / They / will have made …
finished, or
completed. e.g. To
Make.
Perfect Continuous Think of this as an I had been talking to …….. I have been talking to …….. I will have been talking to ……..
actual instance of You had been staying with …… You have been staying with …… You will have been staying with ……
an on-going action He / She / It / had been eating He / She / It / have been eating out He / She / It / will have been eating
/ or activity, that out with ….. with ….. out with …..
has finished, or We / You / They had been eating We / You / They have been eating We / You / They will have been
completed. e.g. To out with ….. out with ….. eating out with …..
Make.

By Maurice Burnett