PERFECT
SIMPLE CONTINUOUS
- habitual, everyday actions:
He goes for a run before
breakfast.
- things that are
generally/always true: They
PRESENT live in a small village.
A finished activity that
happened once or many times
in a definite time or period in
the past: He died in 1970.
(single action) My dad took
me to school every morning.
PAST (repeated action)
FUTURE - to express a future action
that does not depend on any
person’s will or intention: My
son will be thirty next
birthday.
PERFECT
To talk about what is going on
at the moment of speaking or
around now: Sue’s phoning
her boyfriend. We’re studying
English this term.
- to express the duration of an
action in the past: I was
driving home at 6.30 last
night.
- to talk about two parallel
actions in the past: I was
sitting in my car while they
were passing in front of me.
- to talk about two actions of
different duration: She was
crossing the road when she
slipped on some ice.
To show that a future action
will be in progress at a given
moment of future time or at
the time when another future
action happens: Tonight at
- to talk about sth in the past
without specifying the time
period: Have you done your
homework?
- with time words: for, since,
ever, never, already, just,
recently, lately, yet, this
morning/year, two/three times.
To talk about an activity that
occurred before another past
activity or specific moment:
When I looked out of the
window the rain had stopped.
He had passed all the exams
before October.
To express an action that will
be completed before a certain
time or another action in the
future: He will have finished
his work by the end of March.
CONTINUOUS
- to describe an activity that
has happened in the past but
has recently stopped or just
stopped (ПЕРФЕКТ):
Someone has been sleeping in
my bed.
- to describe an activity that
began in the past and is still
happening (ПРЕЗЕНТ): I
have been studying English
for 9 years.
To talk about an activity that
occurred before another past
activity or specific moment
with the emphasis on duration:
Jim had been living in
London for twenty years
before he went to New York. I
had been waiting for twenty
minutes before the bus came.
To express duration of an
action up to a certain time in
the future. The action can
begin in the past, present or
future time and is carried on
 - for speculations or
predictions with expressions
like certainly, probably, I
expect, I hope, I’m afraid, do
you think?: I think the
weather will change. I hope
they will be here in a minute.
eight o’clock I’ll be watching
TV. Tomorrow morning we’ll
be preparing lessons for
school and they will be
working in the garden.
TENSES
I will have arrived by the time
you finished dressing.
up to a certain time in the
future: At 6 o’clock tomorrow
morning, I shall have been
sleeping seven hours. By next
year I shall have been living
in London for ten years.
INSERT THE CORRECT VERB FORM

Dear Granny,
How are you? I _____________ (write) to say a big “thanks” for my birthday present. I really ______________ (like) it
and I ______________ (listen) to it every day when I _____________ (walk) to work.
I am really well. I _____________ (start) my new job last week and I ___________________ (like) it very much. At the
moment I ______________ (live) with some friends in a flat in the city centre, but it’s very expensive so I ___________ (try) to
find another place which _______________ (not cost) so much. I think, I _____________ (find) something cheaper and smaller.
Tomorrow I __________ (see) a woman about a flat. We _________________ (already, see), but I have to check it on my own.
When we ______________ (see) each other the other day, she ______________ (say) that the flat was beautiful, but how
_______________ (I, can know)?
The world ____________ (be) full of surprises! Yesterday, while I ______________________ (come) back from work, I
______________ (meet) a man and he _____________ (tell) me that he knew me. We _______________ (quarrel) for about 15
minutes before he ___________ (let) me go! I ______________ (almost, call) the police!
What other news _____________ (be) there? Well, I ______________ (learn) to drive these days because I ___________
(want) to buy a car. I ____________ (hear) that you have a new car. What make is it?
I _______________ (see) Mum and Dad last week. Mum _____________ (be) fine but Daddy _____________ (not be)
so well. He ____________ (not like) his new job.____________ you___________ (hear) that he has a new job? He has to work
very hard. However, if he ______________ (continue) like this, he ___________________ (fall) ill soon, I assure you.
Anyway, I _____________ (have to, stop) now because Joe _______________ (call) me. Somebody ______________
(knock) at the door and she cannot open it.
She is in the bathroom washing her hair because we _______________ (meet) some friends for dinner tonight.
I ______________ (visit) you soon.
Take care and thanks again.
Love, Claire