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English Tenses
English Tenses
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Subject + do not
(dont) /does not
(doesnt)+ verb (1)
I do not drink
You do not drink
He does not drink
She does not drink
It does not drink
We do not drink
You do not drink
They do not drink
Uses
Habitual actions
repeated actions
Permanent states
Things in general
Negative
Interrogative
Examples
I go to the gym on Monday and
Friday
My friend often draws nice posters.
The Sun rises in the East.
I like your T-shirt. I want a blue one
Monday.
sequence of actions in the present
instructions
I understand English.
Time markers: every day, always, often, frequently, usually, sometimes, rarely, never
Negative
Interrogative
I am sleeping
You are sleeping
I am not sleeping
You are not sleeping
Am I sleeping?
Are you sleeping?
He is sleeping
She is sleeping
It is sleeping
He is not sleeping
She is not sleeping
It is not sleeping
Is he sleeping?
Is she sleeping?
Is it sleepingl?
We are sleeping
You are sleeping
They are sleeping
Are we sleeping?
Are you sleeping?
Are they sleeping?
Uses
Examples
temporary actions
trends
repeated actions which are irritating to the
speaker (with always, constantly, forever)
Time markers and signal words: now, right now, at the moment, Look!
Listen!
Negative
Interrogative
I went
You went
He went
She went
It went
We played
You played
They played
We went
You went
They went
Uses
Examples
Negative
Interrogative
Subject + wasnt/werent +
I was dancing
You were dancing
verb + ing
I was not dancing
You were not dancing
Was I dancing?
Were you dancing?
Was he dancing?
Was she dancing?
Was it dancing?
Were we dancing?
Were you dancing?
Were they dancing?
He was dancing
She was dancing
It was dancing
We were dancing
You were dancing
They were dancing
Uses
action that was in progress at a special
time in the past
Examples
Peter was reading a book yesterday
evening.
Negative
Subject + haven/t/hasnt + verb
(3)
I have eaten
You have eaten
He has eaten
She has eaten
It has eaten
We have eaten
You have eaten
They have eaten
Have I eaten?
Have you eaten ?
Has he eaten?
Has she eaten?
Has it eaten?
Have we eaten?
Have you eaten?
Have they eaten?
Uses
Interrogative
Examples
continuing - mostly with since (point of time) or 1986. (We still live there.)
for (period of time)
Time markers: just, yet, never, already, ever, so far, up to now, recently, since,
for
Negative
Interrogative
Have/has + subject + verb +
ing?
Uses
Examples
Time markers: all day, the whole day, since, for, Questions with how long
Negative
Interrogative
I had eaten
You had eaten
Had I eaten?
Had you eaten ?
He had eaten
She had eaten
Had he eaten?
Had she eaten?
It had eaten
Had it eaten?
We had eaten
You had eaten
They had eaten
Had we eaten?
Had you eaten?
Had they eaten?
Uses
Examples
Time markers: There are no unambiguous "signal words" or time markers in the Past
Perfect. We often use the Past Perfect together with the Simple Past. Watch out when two
actions in the past are combined:
first action (completed before the second one began): Past Perfect
second action: Simple Past
Negative
Interrogative
Uses
Habitual actions how long something had
been happening before something else
happened
Examples
I had been waiting for Susan for 2
hours when she arrived.
Going to future
Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative
I am going to travel
You are going to travel
Am I going to travel ?
Are you going to travel?
He is going to travel
She is going to travel
It is going to travel
Is he going to travel?
Is she going to travel?
Is it going to travel?
Uses
Examples
Time markers: There are no "clear" signal words or time markers for the going tofuture.
So analyse the type of the action in the sentence. Then decide which future form should be used
in the sentence.
Negative
Interrogative
I will survive
You will survive
Will I survive?
Will you survive?
He will survive
She will survive
It will survive
Will he survive?
Will she survive?
Will it survive?
We will survive
You will survive
They will survive
Will we survive?
Will you survive?
Will they survive?
Uses
Habitual actions
repeated actions
Examples
I go to the gym on Monday and
Friday
My friend often draws nice posters.
Time markers: There are no "clear" signal words or time markers for the will-future.
Words like "tomorrow" only indicate that a future form is used. So you have to think of the type
of the action in the sentence. Then you can decide which future form should be used in the
sentence.
Negative
Interrogative
I will be waiting
You will be waiting
Will I be waiting?
Will you be waiting ?
He will be waiting
She will be waiting
It will be waiting
Will he be waiting?
Will she be waiting?
Will it be waiting?
We will be waiting
You will be waiting
They will be waiting
Uses
Will we be waiting?
Will you be waiting?
Will they be waiting?
Examples
Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative
Uses
something will already have happened
before a certain time in the future
Examples
I will have written the letter by
tomorrow.
Negative
Interrogative
Uses
Examples
Negative
Interrogative
I would drink
You would drink
Would I drink?
Would you drink?
He would drink
She would drink
It would drink
Would he drink?
Would she drink?
Would it drink?
We would drink
You would drink
They would drink
Would we drink?
Would you drink?
Would they drink?
Uses
We use it for something that might happen.
We use it in the main clause in type II of the
Conditional sentences.
Examples
I would fly to Sydney if I had the
money.
Conditional Progressive
Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative
I would be sleeping
You would be sleeping
Would I be sleeping?
Would you be sleeping?
He would be sleeping
She would be sleeping
It would be sleeping
Would he be sleeping?
Would she be sleeping?
Would it be sleeping?
We would be sleeping
You would be sleeping
They would be sleeping
Would we be sleeping?
Would you be sleeping?
Would they be sleeping?
Uses
Examples
Conditional Perfect
Affirmative
Negative
Interrogative
Uses
Examples
Negative
Interrogative
I would have been sleeping I would not have been sleeping Would I have been sleeping?
You would have been sleeping
You would not have been
Would you have been sleeping?
sleeping
He would have been sleeping
She would have been sleeping
It would have been sleeping
Uses
Examples