The Simple Present Tense
Expresses a habit or often repeated
action. Adverbs of frequency such as,
often, seldom, sometimes, never, etc.
are used with this tense.
______x____x_________x__________
She goes to work everyday.
They always eat lunch together.
This tense also expresses general
truths or facts that are timeless.
__x_____x_________x____x_______
Snow falls in December in Minnesota.
Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
The Present Progressive
This tense is used to describe an
action that is occurring right now
(at this moment, today, this year,
etc.). The action has begun and is
still in progress.
_________________x________________
She is typing a paper for her class.
He can’t talk. He is fixing the sink
right now.
The present progressive can also
be used to describe an action that
is occurring in the present, but is
temporary.
_________x______x____....._____________
John is living in Modesto, but he
might move soon.
The Simple Past
We use the simple past to
indicate exactly when an action
or event took place in the past.
___x__________________
I visited my sister yesterday.
We went out to dinner last
night.
The simple past is used to
describe actions and/or events
that are now completed and no
longer true in the present.
_____x____________________
I attended MJC in 1998. (I no
longer attend MJC.)
I saw a movie every weekend
when I was a teenager. (I don’t
see movies very much
anymore.)
 The Past Progressive
The past progressive is used to talk
about an activity that was in progress
at a specific point of time in the past.
The emphasis is on the duration of the
activity in the past.
__x_________________________
The Present Perfect The Present Perfect Progressive
The present perfect is used to talk This tense is used to describe
about an event that began in the the duration of an action that
past and continues up to the began in the past and continues
present. into the present.
x
x
__x____x__x________________ ______x__________________

I was studying for an exam while my He has lived in Modesto for two He has been studying grammar
mother was cooking dinner. years. for an hour.
We were walking in the park around 7 (He began living in Modesto two She has been cooking all day.
p.m. last night. years ago and he still lives there.) (He is still studying and she is
still cooking.)
The past progressive is often used with The present perfect is also used to This tense is also used to
the simple past to show that one talk about an event that was describe events that have been
action was in progress when another completed in the past, but the in progress recently and are
action occurred. specific time of the event is not rather temporary.
important. x
__x_________x_BOOM!______________ ___x_.........___________________ ______x_________________

I was taking a bath when the doorbell I have seen that movie before. She has been living in Taiwan
rang. He has already visited Vietnam. for the last two months, but she
They were eating dinner when the (Specific dates and times are not plans to move soon.
neighbors stopped by for a visit. mentioned.)
 The Past Perfect Past Perfect Progressive The Future
This tense describes completed events This tense is used to emphasize Will and be + going + to are
that took place in the past before the duration of an action that was often used to describe future
another past event. completed before another action actions.
or event in the past.
___________________x_______
Had been Found the
driving right office
Had
Thomas will graduate in June.
hit
received Maria is going to go to Mexico
___x_____________x___________
___x__________x_________________ next week.

The simple present and present

progressive are also used to
express future time. These are
often used in connection with
She had been driving around the
The Titanic had received many schedules.
city for three hours before she
warnings before it hit the iceberg.
finally found the right office.
I had already eaten when my friend
stopped by to visit. ____________________x______

She is meeting a new client at

eleven o’clock.
The train leaves at 6:00 a.m.
tomorrow.
 The Future Progressive
This tense is used to describe an event
or action that will occur over a period
of time at a specific point in the future.
10: am
tomorrow
__________________x__.......________
I will be teaching ESL 40 at 10 a.m.
tomorrow.
They will be moving their furniture out
of the house by the time you arrive
tomorrow.
The Future Perfect
This tense is used to describe an
event or action that will be
completed before another event
or time in the future.
Will have Class
finished ends
___________x______________x__
We will have finished the exam by
the time class ends tomorrow.
The Future Perfect Progressive
This tense is used to emphasize
the duration of an action that
will be completed before
another action or event in the
future.
Will have
Zumba
been
class
exercising
ends
_________x_____________x___
I will have been exercising for 2
hours by the time the time the
Zumba class ends tomorrow.
 The Simple Present Tense The Present Progressive The Simple Past

I AM I AM + ing I/he/she/it WAS

He/she/it IS He/she/it IS + ing We/you/ they WERE
We/you/they ARE We/you/they ARE + ing I/you/he/she/it
We/they DID
I/you/we/they/ DO Aff: I AM talking to you RIGHT
He/she/It DOES NOW. Regular verbs -ED /D
They ARE having dinner AT Walk WALKED
Aff: We play soccer every Saturday THE MOMENT. Waste WASTED
She WATCHES T.V. twice a Irregular verbs From List
Week. Neg: I’M NOT talking to you Take TOOK
RIGHT NOW.
Neg: We DON’T PLAY soccer every They AREN’T having dinner Aff: She SENT me 100
Saturday. AT THE MOMENT. Messages LAST WEEK.
She DOESN’T WATCH T.V.
Twice a week. Int: AM I talking to you Neg: She DIDN’T SEND me
RIGHT NOW? 100 messages LAST
Int: DO you PLAY soccer every ARE they having dinner WEEK.
Saturday? AT THE MOMENT?
DOES she WATCH T.V. twice a Int: DID she SEND me 100
Week? Messages LAST WEEK?
 The Past Progressive The Present Perfect The Present Perfect progressive

I/he/she/it WAS + ing He/she/it HAS + PAST He/she/it HAS + BEEN +

We/you/they WERE + ing PARTICIPLE ing.
I/we/you/they HAVE + PAST I/we/you/they HAVE + BEEN
Aff: I WAS living in London 2 YEARS PARTICIPLE + ing.
AGO.
Since Origin Since Origin
Neg: I WASN’T living in London 2 For Amount of For Amount of
YEARS AGO. Time. Time.

Int: : WERE you living in London 2
YEARS AGO?
Aff: He HAS WRITTEN many
books about cats SINCE
1994.
Neg: He HASN’T WRITTEN any
books about cats SINCE
1994
Int: HAS he WRITTEN any books
about cats SINCE 1994?
Aff: We HAVE BEEN studying
English FOR 6 years.
Neg: We HAVEN’T BEEN
studying English FOR 6
Years.
Int: HAVE you BEEN studying
English FOR 6 years?
 The Past Perfect The Past Perfect Progressive The Future

I/you/he/she/it HAD + PAST I/you/he/she/it HAD + BEEN + I/you/he/she/it

We/they PARTICIPLE We/they ing We/they WILL/ WON’T

Since Origin Since Origin I AM + GOING TO

For Amount of For Amount of He/she/it IS + GOING TO
Time. Time You/we/they ARE + GOING TO

Aff: They HAD WALKED to school
FOR a year before they bought a
car.
Neg: They HADN’T WALKED to
School FOR a year before they
Bought a car.
Int: HAD they WALKED to school Int:
FOR a year before they bought
A car?
Aff: I HAD BEEN working FOR 2 Aff:
hours when you called me
Yesterday.
Neg: I HADN’T BEEN working
FOR 2 hours when you Neg:
Called me yesterday.
HAD you BEEN working
FOR 2 hours when I
Called you yesterday? Int:
You WILL graduate from
School in 4 years.
She IS GOING TO travel
To Europe.
You WON’T graduate
From school in 4 years.
She ISN’T GOING TO
travel to Europe.
WILL you graduate
From school in 4
Years?
IS she GOING TO
Travel to Europe?
 The Future Progressive The Future Perfect The Future Perfect Progressive

I/you/he/she/it WILL/ WON’T+ BE + I/you/he/she/it WILL/WON’T + I/you/he/she/it WILL/WON’T +

We/they ing We/they HAVE + PAST We/they HAVE + BEEN +
PARTICIPLE ing
Aff: You WILL BE sleeping by 9:pm Since Origin
Tonight. Aff: I WILL HAVE FINISHED my For Amount of
Work by the time my kids Time.
Neg: You WON’T BE sleeping by Arrive home.
9:pm tonight. Aff: By June this year I WILL
Neg: I WON’T HAVE FINISHED HAVE BEEN working at
Int: WILL you BE sleeping by 9:pm My work by the time my Miss Cutu Bilingual Help
Tonight? Kids arrive home. For 4 years.

Int: WILL I HAVE FINISHED my Neg: By June this year I WON’T

Work by the time my HAVE BEEN working at
Kids arrive home? Miss Cutu Bilingual
Help for 4 years.

Int: By June this year WILL I

HAVE BEEN working at
Miss Cutu Bilingual
Help for 4 years?