ENGLISH VERB TENSES

NAME OF TENSE FORMATION USE/MEANING CLUES & CAUTIONS

PRESENT
CONTINUOUS
(PROGRESSIVE)
I am
He, she, it is
We, you, they are
+_____ing

Shes watching TV.
1. right now
2. during this period
of time
3. future, if the plan is
certain (They are
getting married in
August)
1. now
2. today, this week,
this semester
Watch out for
noncontinuous
verbs.
Dont use DO with
BE,
SIMPLE PRESENT I, you, we, they +base
form
He, she it +s or es
1. habit (He jogs
everyday.)
2. statement of fact
(Cats eat meat.)
3. a scheduled future
event (The bus
leaves at 7:00)

Frequency adverbs:
everyday, always,
usually, often,
sometimes, seldom,
rarely, never
FUTURE 1. I am; he, she, it is ;
you, we, they are
+ going + infinitive
(Shes going to go.)



2. will + base form

3. See present and
present continuous
tenses
1. a. future plan,
b.action that will
happen in the
immediate future
(Look out! Youre going
to fall
c. prediction
2. promise, offer,
prediction

Tomorrow, next week,
next year

Will is a modal.
Dont use DO with
modals
Use only a base
form of a verb after
a modal
(will going , will goes)

SIMPLE PAST add ed to base form for
regular verbs. For other
verbs, see an irregular
verb form list.
finished past actions Dates (1850, 2001), ago,
when, yesterday, last
night, last week, last
month, last year
PAST CONTINUOUS
(PROGRESSIVE)
I, he, she, it was
We, you, they were

+________ing
1.a past action that was
continuing to go on (I
was watching TV last
night at 7:00.)
2.a past action that was
interrupted (We were
eating when the phone
rang.
While

Dont use DID with
was or were.
PAST HABIT 1. used to + base
form
2.
I used to live in New
York City.

3. would + base form

When I used to live in
New York City, I would
always take a taxi to the
theater.
1.for a habitual state,
event or action that was
true in the past but is no
longer true


2.for expressing actions
or events that occurred
regularly during a period
in the past
with did, drop the
ed. (Did you use to
smoke?)
Dont confuse used
to with be used to
doing
Would cant be
used to show
location or
possession(We
would live in New
York.)

FUTURE IN THE
PAST
1. was/were going
to___
2. would + base verb
for events or actions that
were planned in the past
Examples:
We knew the wedding
was going to be on
J une 15, but we didnt
know where it would
take place.
PRESENT PERFECT I, you we, they have
He, she it has

+ past participle (ed for
regular verbs, for
irregular verbs see a list
of irregular verbs)
Relates the past to the
present time
1. for an action or
situation that began
in the past and
continues into the
present (Ive been
sick since Tuesday
and Im still sick.
2. For a repeated past
action or for a
period of time that is
not finished (Weve
had three exams this
semester.)
3. For a past action
when the specific
time is not
mentioned, any time
before now (She's
found a new job.)
4. For an action
completed in the
immediate past
(Theyve just
finished eating.)
1. for, since
You must use for or
since for this
meaning
use for with length
of time and since
with a specific time
2. so far, today, this
month, this
semester
3. ever, never,
already, yet
Dont use specific
time with this
meaning (Dont
write She has
arrived yesterday.)
Yet is only used
with questions and
negatives
4. just
Dont use specific
time with this
meaning

Dont use do or did
with present perfect
PRESENT PERFECT
CONTINUOUS
(PROGRESSIVE)
I, you, we, they have
He, she, it has

+been +_______ing
1. for an action or
situation that began
in the past and
continues into the
present
(It has been raining all
day long, and its still
raining now.)
2. for an action that has
just stopped within the
last few minutes (Its
been raining. Its not
raining now, but the
streets are still wet.)
for, since with meaning
#1 (same as meaning #1
of present perfect)
Dont use do or did
Watch out for
noncontinuous vers
that cannot be used
with this tense:
be
have (possession)
own
know
PAST PERFECT had + past participle


1. when telling a story
about the past, for
an action that
happened before the
story began
2. for an action that
happened before
another past action
By the time, after,
before
Example: By the time
he came home, his
family had already
eaten.
Dont use do or did


FUTURE
PROGRESSIVE
will + be +_____ing


to make a future action
come to life
By this time tomorrow
A week from now
By the time you get
this message I will be
lying on the beach in
Cancun.
FUTURE PERFECT


will + have + past
participle
To show a future state,
action or event as if it
were already past,
Or to show an action that
will happen before a
certain time in the future
By noon tomorrow I
will have finished the
assignment.
By the time you get this
message I will already
have landed in Cancun
FUTURE PERFECT
PROGRESSIVE
will + have + been
+____ing
To show a future
continuous action as if it
were already in progress,
Or to show an action that
will be happening before
a certain time in the
future
By the end of next
month, I will have
been working at this
company for five years.
Watch out for
noncontinuous
verbs: be, know,
have (possession)
own


































CONDITIONAL SENTENCES
REAL PRESENT present tense in main
clause and present tense
in the dependent clause
(beginning with If, when
or whenever)
A situation that is
always true whenever
the condition exists.
If I eat raw onions, I get
sick.
I get sad whenever I
hear that song.
REAL FUTURE future (will, may or can
+base verb or be going
to +base verb) in the
main clause and present
tense in the dependent
clause (beginning with
if or when)
You can also use
unless to mean if
not.
A situation that will be
true in the future if the
condition exists in the
future


If the DJ plays that
song, I am going to cry.

Youll pass the test if
you study. I expect you
to pass because I expect
you will study.
Use future only in
the main clause, not
in both clauses.
(If you will study, you
will pass.)
PRESENT UNREAL would +base verb in
the main clause and past
tense in the if clause

(You can also use might
or could) in the main
clause for an even less
certain outcome.)
A situation that is not
true because the
condition is not
expected to be met
If I were you, I would
apologize. ( I am not
you.)

I would give money to
charity if I won the
lottery. I dont have
much chance of winning
the lottery.
If you studied, you
would pass the test.
You are not studying, so
I dont expect you to
pass.
WERE is used for
all persons in the
unreal conditional
PAST UNREAL Would (or might or
could) +present perfect
in the main clause and
past perfect in the if
clause
I call this the too late
conditional. It is untrue
because it is no longer
possible. The condition
was not met.
If you had studied, you
would have passed the
test.
You didnt study, so you
didnt pass, but dont
you wish you could turn
the clock back and have
another chance?
MIXED TIME IN
UNREAL
CONDITIONAL
SENTENCES
1. Past perfect in the if
clause and would +
base verb in the
main clause
2. Past tense in the if
clause and would,
could, or might +
present perfect in
the main clause
1.An untrue condition in
the past affects the
present time.


2.A condition that still
does not exist in the
present time has affected
the past.
Example #1:
If he had passed, he
wouldnt be in summer
school now. (He didnt
pass. Thats why hes in
summer school.)
#2 If I were rich, I
could have bought you
a car for your birthday.
(Im not rich. Thats
why I wasnt able to buy
you a car.)