Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Present tenses
FORM
The present simple is formed with the infinitive of the main verb. The negative and interrogative are formed with
the present tense of the verb to do + infinitive.
Examples
USE
2. With adverbs of frequency: often – usually – sometimes – seldom – rarely – always – occasionally – never
He often arrives late.
3. Certain verbs are usually only used in the (present) simple form.
verbs of the senses: see- hear- smell – notice – recognize
verbs of emotion: want – desire – refuse – forgive – wish – care – love – hate – like –
dislike
verbs of thinking: think – feel – realize – understand – know – mean – suppose –
believe – expect – remember – forget
time diagram
FORM
This tense is formed with the present tense of the verb to be + present participle of the main verb.
I’m watching television.
What are you doing?
He isn’t coming.
USE
1. For actions happening at the moment of speaking. She’s reading the newspaper.
2. For a temporary state. The company is reorganizing its services.
3. For a definite arrangement in the near future. They’re signing the contract tomorrow.
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1. verbs of senses see – hear – smell – notice - recognize
2. verbs of emotion want – desire – refuse – forgive – wish – care – love – hate – like - dislike
3. verbs of thinking think – feel – realize – understand – know – mean – suppose – believe – expect –
remember - forget
4. verbs of possessing own – owe – belong - possess
5. some other verbs seem – appear (seem) – contain – consist – keep (continue) - matter
time diagram
FORM
This tense is formed with the present tense of the verb to have + past participle of the main verb.
I’ve finished.
Where have you been?
I haven’t talked to him.
USE
We use this tense to connect past and present. We use to talk about
1. Actions in the recent past with ‘just, recently, already, at last, lately’
He has just immersed the temperature probe into the molten steel.
2. General experience with ‘ever – never – before – so far’
This is the highest carbon ratio I’ve ever seen.
3. The indefinite past: we are interested in what happened, not in when it happened.
I ‘ve seen the report. (I know what it is about.)
He has sold the company.
They ‘ve had lunch.
4. Actions starting in the past and continuing to the present, with ‘for’ or ‘since”.
The operation has been suspended for two months.
The firm has had a Belgian branch since October last year.
time diagrams
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We have conducted experiments on this phenomenon for almost twenty years.
FORM
This tense is formed with the present perfect of the verb to be + present participle of the main verb.
I ‘ve been writing code for our new data-mining program.
Has she been trying to contact me?
She hasn’t been writing at all.
USE
We use this tense for actions started in the past, continuing to the present and probably continuing into the future.
We often use it with “for” or “since”.
time diagram
1982 2002
PAST NOW FUTURE
1982 2002
PAST NOW FUTURE
In the first example, we express a strong possibility that the action will continue into the future. In the second
example, we are only interested in the past twenty years.
2. Past tenses
FORM
This tense is formed by adding -ed to the infinitive. The negative and interrogative are formed with the past tense
of the verb to do + infinitive of the main verb.
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USE
We use this tense:
time diagram
FORM
This tense is formed with the past tense of the verb to be + present participle of the main verb.
USE
We use this tense:
1. To emphasize the continuity of the past action.
time diagram
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1. I was working all day yesterday.
While (1) emphasizes the continuity of the action, (2) only indicates that the action took place yesterday.
Whereas 3. indicates that the action started before and continued after a certain point in time, 4.. indicates that
the action happened at 8.30.
FORM
This tense is formed with the past tense of the verb to have + past participle of the main verb.
USE
We use this tense to describe one past action happening before another past action.
The customer had left the shop by the time I found his order form.
We use it when necessary to indicate the sequence of two actions.
He had already cleared the screen when I got behind his desk.
We often us it when the second action is understood, but not stated.
I hadn’t realized! (until you told me.)
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time diagram
had watched
PAST dinner television NOW FUTURE
had watched
PAST dinner television NOW FUTURE
In (1) the sequence of actions is expressed by the past perfect tense; whereas in (2) the sequence of actions is
indicated by the use of before.
FORM
This tense is formed with the past perfect tense of the verb to be + present participle of the main verb.
She had been working as a secretary for two years when she was promoted.
What had she been writing all day?
He hadn’t been listening to that tape for that long.
USE
We use this tense to describe a continuous past action happening before another past action. We often use it
with for + time period.
We had been waiting for thirty minutes when they arrived.
We use this tense to emphasize the continuity or duration of the past action.
I had been waiting for my exam results for six weeks. (before I got them.)
time diagram
(1) I had been waiting for ten minutes when she arrived.
Whereas in (1) the past perfect continuous indicates both the sequence of the actions and the continuity of the
first action; in (2) the sequence of the actions is indicated by before.
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3. Future tenses
FORM
This tense is formed with will + infinitive of the main verb.
USE
We use this tensze to express a pure future. Actions expressed in the simple future are bound to happen
because of the course of time. This means that the speaker has no power over the events, that he cannot control
what will happen. For this reason this tense is also called the uncertain future.
He will be sixteen years old next Friday.
The baby will be born next month.
1. We often use this tense with particular verbs; such as think – know – believe – suppose – expect – hope to
express beleifs, convictions, hope, expectationn, knowledge and opinions about the future.
I think Brazil will win.
I don’t suppose she will be promoted now.
2. We often use it with particular adverbs such as: probably – possibly –perhaps to express uncertainty about
the future.
He will probably ask the general manager.
This matter will probably not be raised before the commission’s first meeting.
3. The simple present is used in conditional clauses and time clauses. The simple future is used in the main
clause (not in the if-clause).
He ‘ll help you if you ask him.
I ‘ll tell him the news as soon as I see him.
He ‘ll be arrested the moment he sets foot on Schengen soil.
FORM
This tense is formed with the present tense of the verb to be + going to + infinitive of the main verb.
USE
We use this tense to talk about present intentions and plans for future actions.
FORM
This tense is formed with the present tense of the verb to be+ present participle of the main verb.
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She is getting married next Friday.
What are you doing next weekend?
They’re not coming home tonight.
USE
We use this tense to indicate definite future arrangements, actions planned in the near future. We nearly
alwys use a future time expression with it.
Note: do not confuse intention ( to be + going to + verb) and arrangement (to be + present participle).
I’m going to stay in London. = intention
I’m going to London next weekend = arrangement
FORM
This tense is formed with the infinitive of the main verb. The negative and interrogative are formed with the
present tense of to do + infinitive.
USE
We use this tense to talk about planned future actions. We usually use it to describe travel plans, time tables,
departures, arrivals.
FORM
This tense is formed with the future simple of to be + present participle of the main verb.
USE
We use this tense for actions that will be in progress at a certain time in the future.
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time diagram
The future continuous is also used to express long-term arrangements, especially for travelling.
The band will be travelling through Scandinavia at the end of the month. They will be
giving three performances there.
The future continuous is also used to ask very polite questions about future activities. By using the future
continuous tense, the speaker asking the questions shows that he does not want to influence the other person’s
decision in any way at all.
Where will you be having dinner, Sir? (secretary to boss)
What will you be having, Madam? (waiter to customer)
The future continuous is also used to make deductions about what is happening at the moment of speaking.
He will be working in his garden now. Otherwise, he would have heard the phone.
She hasn’t begun making up the beds. She will still be doing the washing up.
FORM
This tense is formed with will + have + past participle of the main verb.
USE
We use this tense to describe actions which we know will (or will not) be completed by a certain time in the
future.
I ‘ll have finished this book by the end of the week.
time diagram
FORM
This tense is formed with the future perfect tense of to be + present participle of rthe main verb.
By the end of this year, we ‘ll have been experimenting with this for more than three months.
How long will you have been living there by the end of this year?
I won’t have been living living here for five years till the end of this year.
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USE
We use this tense to describe continuous and repeated actions which begin befor a certain time in the future
and will probably continue after that time.
By the end of the next academic year, I’ll have been teaching for 26 years.
time diagram
By the end of the next academic year, I’ll have been teaching for 26 years
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1. Put the verbs into a suitable present tense.
Situation: Martin is worried about his health so he goes to see his doctor. He first meets the doctor’s
receptionist.
2. Put the verbs in the brackets into the past simple, present perfect simple or present perfect
continuous.
Situation: It is the beginning of the winter holiday period. London Airport is surrounded by thick fog.
Two strangers meet in the departure lounge.
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3. Put the verb in the brackets into a suitable past tense.
Situation: This is part of a spy novel called ‘Modern Spy’.
Chapter 3
David Lang (to wait) patiently in the shadow of a wall. It (to rain) steadily; in fact, it
(to rain) since he (to arrive) two hours earlier. For the hundreth time, he (to check) his
watch, (to look) up and down the street and (to complain) to the dark about American
agents who (to be) always late.
He (to start) thinking about the events of the day and why he (to arrive) in Central
Europe with no money and no gun. At ten o’clock that morning, his boss (to call) him
into his office and (to tell) him about the radio message the Americans (to receive)
from their Central European agent. After that, Lang (to have) one hour to reach the
airport. His flight (to land) at four o’clock in the afternoon and he (to take) a taxi to
the corner of the street where he now (to stand).
He (to check) his watch again when he suddenly (to hear) a man enter the street. He
(to move) slowly back into the shadow when something hard (to hit) him on the neck.
He (to remember) nothing more until he (to come) round ten minutes later and (to
realize) he (to travel) by car through the streets of the capital with three armed men.
4. Put the verb in brackets into the future simple, future continuous, or future perfect simple
Situation: Two passengers, trapped in a crashed Underground train, are talking to each other while
waiting for the rescue services to reach them.
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5. Put the verb in brackets into the present continuous, future simple, future continuous of future
perfect simple.
Situation: Richard has managed to get a well-paid job abroad. He is talking to Paul, his colleague
about his new job.
And here are the main points of the main news again. The inflation rate (to
come) down for the third month in succession; inflation now (to run) at a figure
of eight percent. The third anti-nuclear power conference (to begin) in
Helsinki; national representatives (to spend) the first day of the conference
preparing the agenda for the week. And finally ... Excuse me .... We just (to
receive) news of a serious mid-air collision over the Irish Sea. Apparently two
planes (to crash) near the Irish coast. Rescue forces already (to leave) Dublin
and all ships in the area now (to sail) to the disaster point. Two air-sea rescue
helicopters (to take off) from their base in Wales and they now (to search) the
area for survivors.
D Well, I not (to like) that at all. What you (to think) of it, Robert?
R I (to think) the questions (to be) not too bad, but after I (to read) them all
carefully, I (to realize) I (to revise) the wrong subjects.
D Mm. I know what you mean. I (to expect) a question on the First World War and
I (to study) it for weeks, but the examiner not (to include) any questions on it at
all. When I (to check) the questions twice and I finally (to understand) that there
(to be) only two questions I (can) answer, I (to feel)à like giving up.
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8. Put the verbs in brackets into the present continuous, future simple, future with going to or
future perfect simple.
Situation: It’s Monday morning. The Cooper family are having breakfast.
A I (to go) into town this morning, James. Sarah (to meet) me at 10
o’clock and we (to do) some shopping. You (to do) anything at 12.30?
Perhaps we can have lunch together?
J Well, I (to see) a client at 12.30, but we probably (to finish) by one
o’clock. That (to be) too late for you?
A No, that’s fine. Where we (to go)?
J How about the Steak House, or do you think it (to be) too crowded
there?
A No, there not (to be) many people there at this time of year.
J You (to go) anywhere near the bank?
A Yes, I (to call) in there actually.
J What time do you think you (to get) there?
A Well, we (to start) in Commercial Street; we probably (to spend) an
hour in the shops; then I expect we (to have) a coffee somewhere; so I
probably (to reach) the bank at about 11.30. Why?
J Well, the manager (to expect) to see me this afternoon; and I not (to
be) able to keep the appointment if I take lunch with you.
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