TENSES IN ENGLISH
TENSES ARE RELATED TO TIME
THREE MAIN TENSES
EACH TENSE HAS FOUR CATEGORIESSIMPLE/INDEFINITE: PRESENT, PAST, FUTURECONTINUOUS/PROGRESSIVE:PRESENT, PAST, FUTUREPERFECT: PRESENT, PAST, FUTUREPERFECT CONTINUOUS: PRESENT, PAST, FUTURE
PRESENT
FUTUREPAST
SIMPLE PRESENT TENSEIn this tense first form of verb (v1)is used or v1 is used with ‘s’ or ‘es’; if the subject is singular we use ‘s’ and ‘es’ if subject is plural.USE: action in the present taking place once, never or several times facts actions taking place one after another action set by a timetable or scheduleEXAMPLES:
I PLAY Affirmative/Negative/Question A: He speaks. OR They speaks
N: He does not speak. They do not speak.Q: Does he speak? Do not the speak
SIGNAL WORDS: always, every …, never, normally, often, seldom, sometimes, usually
if sentences type I (If I talk, …)
PRESENT CONTINUOUS/PROGRESSIVE
IS, AM ARE+ V1+ ‘ING’ IS USED IN THIS TENSEUSE: action taking place in the moment of speaking action taking place only for a limited period of time action arranged for the futureEXAMPLES:I AM PLAYING, IT IS RAINING.
Affirmative/Negative/QuestionA: He is speaking.N: He is not speaking.Q: Is he speaking?SIGNAL WORDS: at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!, now, right now
PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
HAS /HAVE +PAST PARTCIPLEUSES: putting emphasis on the result action that is still going on action that stopped recently finished action that has an influence on the present action that has taken place EXAMPLES: I HAVE PLAYEDA: He has spoken.N: He has not spoken.Q: Has he spoken? SIGNAL WORDS:already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
IN THIS TENSE WE USE HAS /HAVE + BEEN+ PRESENT PARTICIPLE.USE: putting emphasis on the course or duration (not the
result) action that recently stopped or is still going on finished action that influenced the presentEXAMPLES: I HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR TWO HOURS. A: He has been speaking.
N: He has not been speaking.Q: Has he been speaking?
SIGNAL WORDS: all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week
SIMPLE PAST OR PAST INDEFINITE TENSE
In simple past tense second form of verb is used (V2)USE: action in the past taking place once, never or several times actions taking place one after another action taking place in the middle of another actionEXAMPLES: I PLAYED, IT RAINED LAST NIGHT.
A: He spoke.N: He did not speak.Q: Did he speak
SIGNAL WORDS:yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the other day, last Friday
if sentence type II (If I talked, …)
PAST CONTINUOUS TENSE WAS/WERE+V1+ ‘ING’ IS USEDUSE: action going on at a certain time in the past actions taking place at the same time action in the past that is interrupted by another
actionEXAMPLES: It was raining yesterday at this time.
A: He was speaking.N: He was not speaking.Q: Was he speaking?
SIGNAL WORDS: when, while, as long as
PAST PERFECT TENSEHAD+ PAST PARTICIPLEUSES: action taking place before a certain time in the past sometimes interchangeable with past perfect progressive putting emphasis only on the fact (not the duration)EXAMPLES: I HAVE PLAYED A: He had spoken.N: He had not spoken.Q: Had he spokenSIGNAL WORDS:already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day
if sentence type III (If I had talked, …)
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
HAD+BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLEUSE: action taking place before a certain time in the past sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple putting emphasis on the duration or course of an actionEXAMPLES: I HAD BEEN PLAYING FOR TWO HOURS.,WHEN I VISITED HIM, HE HAD BEEN TEACHING THERE FOR LAST
FIVE YEARS.
A: He had been speaking.N: He had not been speaking.Q: Had he been speaking?
SIGNAL WORDS:for, since, the whole day, all day
SIMPLE FUTURE/ FUTURE 1 SIMPLETENSE
Will + Present(first) form of the verb(V1) is used in this tense.USE: action in the future that cannot be influenced spontaneous decision assumption with regard to the futureEXAMPLES: I WILL PLAY.A: He will speak.
N: He will not speak. Q: Will he speak?
SIGNAL WORDS: in a year, next …, tomorrowIf-Type I (If you ask her, she will help you.)assumption: I think, probably, perhaps
FUTURE 1 SIMPLE (going to)
USE: decision made for the future conclusion with regard to the futureEXAMPLES: A: He is going to speak.
N: He is not going to speak.Q: Is he going to speak?
SIGNAL WORDS: in one year, next week, tomorrow
FUTURE 1 CONTINUOUSUSES: action that is going on at a certain time in the
future action that is sure to happen in the near future.EXAMPLES:I WILL BE PLAYINGIt looks it will rain tomorrow. A: He will be speaking.
N: He will not be speaking.Q: Will he be speaking
SIGNAL WORDS: in one year, next week, tomorrow
FUTURE PERFECT TENSEIN THIS TYPE OF TENSE WIILL/ SHALL + HAVE+ PAST
PARTICIPLE IS USED.USE: To describe an action that will be completed by some point
of time in the future EXAMPLE: I will have played. He will have left before you reach.
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
WILL HAVE BEEN+ PRESENT PARTICIPLE IS USED IN THIS TYPE
OF TENSE.USE:To describe an action that will be progress even after a
given pointof time.EXAMPLE: I WILL HAVE BEEN PLAYING FROE 2 HOURS AT 2 O’
CLOCK. BY NEXT DECEMBER WE WILL HAVE BEEN LIVING HERE FOR FIVE YEARS.
FUTURE II SIMPLE
USE: action that will be finished at a certain
time in the future.EXAMPLES: A: He will have spoken.
N: He will not have spoken.Q: Will he have spoken
SIGNAL WORDS: by Monday, in a week
FUTURE II CONTINUOUS
USE: action taking place before a certain time in
the future putting emphasis on the course of an actionEXAMPLES A: He will have been speaking.
N: He will not have been speaking.Q: Will he have been speaking?
SIGNAL WORDS : for …, the last couple of hours, all day long
CONDITIONAL I SIMPLE
USE: action that might take placeEXAMPLES: A: He would speak.
N: He would not speak.Q: Would he speak
SIGNAL WORDS: if sentences type II
(If I were you, I would go home.)
CONDITIONAL I PROGRESSIVE
USE: action that might take place putting emphasis on the course /
duration of the actionEXAMPLES: A: He would be speaking.
N: He would not be speaking.Q: Would he be speaking?
CONDITIONAL II SIMPLEUSE: action that might have taken place in the
pastEXAMPLES: A: He would have spoken.
N: He would not have spoken.Q: Would he have spoken?
SIGNAL WORDS: if sentences type III
(If I had seen that, I would have helped)
CONDITIONAL II PROGRESSIVE
USE: action that might have taken place in the
past puts emphasis on the course / duration
of the actionEXAMPLES: A: He would have been speaking.
N: He would not have been speaking.Q: Would he have been speaking?
RECAPITULATIONPRESENT TENSE
SIMPLE PRESENT:
I/we/they/you READ.He/She/It READS.
PRESENT CONTINUOUS:I am READING, You /They are
READING
PRESENT PERFECT
I/WE HAVE READHE /SHE HAS READ
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I /WE HAVE BEEN READINGHE/SHE HAS BEEN
READING
PAST TENSE
SIMPLE PASTI/ WE/SHE READ IT
PAST CONTINUOUSI /SHE WAS
WE /THEY WERE READING
PAST PERFECTI/SHE HAS
WE/THEY HAVE READ THE BOOK LAST WEEK
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I /SHE/WE HAD BEEN READING THE BOOK WHEN THE TEACHERWENT INTO
THE CLASSROOM
FUTURE TENSESIMPLE FUTURE
I/ WE/ SHE/THE WILL READ BOOK
TOMORROW
FUTURE CONTINUOUS
HE/ SHE/THEY WILL BE READING THE BOOK
SOON
FUTURE PERFECTI/ WE/THEY WILL HAVE READ THE
BOOK BY NEXT WEEK
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
I/ WE/ SHE WILL HAVE BEEN READING THE BOOK
FOR FIVE DAYS NOW.
THANK YOU