TENSES IN ENGLISH

TENSES ARE RELATED

TO TIME



THREE MAIN TENSES





EACH TENSE HAS FOUR CATEGORIES
SIMPLE/INDEFINITE: PRESENT, PAST, FUTURE
CONTINUOUS/PROGRESSIVE:PRESENT, PAST, FUTURE
PERFECT: PRESENT, PAST, FUTURE
PERFECT CONTINUOUS: PRESENT, PAST, FUTURE
PRESE
NT
FUTUR
E
PAST
SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE
In 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 schedule
EXAMPLES:
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 TENSE
USE:
action taking place in the moment of speaking
action taking place only for a limited period of time
action arranged for the future
EXAMPLES:
I AM PLAYING, IT IS RAINING.

Affirmative/Negative/Question
A: 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 PARTCIPLE
USES:
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 PLAYED
A: 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 present
EXAMPLES:
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 action
EXAMPLES:
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 USED
USE:
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
action
EXAMPLES:
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 TENSE
HAD+ PAST PARTICIPLE
USES:
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 spoken
SIGNAL WORDS:
already, just, never, not yet, once, until that day
if sentence type III (If I had talked, )

PAST PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
HAD+BEEN + PRESENT PARTICIPLE
USE:
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 action
EXAMPLES:
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
SIMPLE
TENSE
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 future
EXAMPLES:
I WILL PLAY.
A: He will speak.
N: He will not speak.
Q: Will he speak?

SIGNAL WORDS: in a year, next , tomorrow
If-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 future
EXAMPLES:
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 CONTINUOUS
USES:
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 PLAYING
It 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 TENSE
IN 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
point
of 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 action
EXAMPLES
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 place
EXAMPLES:
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
action
EXAMPLES:
A: He would be speaking.
N: He would not be speaking.
Q: Would he be speaking?

CONDITIONAL II SIMPLE
USE:
action that might have taken place in the past
EXAMPLES:
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
action
EXAMPLES:
A: He would have been speaking.
N: He would not have been speaking.
Q: Would he have been speaking?

RECAPITULATION
PRESENT 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 READ
HE /SHE HAS READ
PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS


I /WE HAVE BEEN READING
HE/SHE HAS BEEN READING
PAST TENSE
SIMPLE PAST

I/ WE/SHE READ IT
PAST CONTINUOUS

I /SHE WAS
WE /THEY WERE READING
PAST PERFECT

I/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 TENSE
SIMPLE FUTURE

I/ WE/ SHE/THE WILL READ
BOOK TOMORROW
FUTURE CONTINUOUS

HE/ SHE/THEY WILL BE
READING THE BOOK
SOON
FUTURE PERFECT

I/ 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