The PRESENT PERFECT TENSE is formed with a present tense form of "to have" plus the past participle of

the verb (which can be either regular or irregular in form). This tense indicates either that an action was
completed (finished or "perfected") at some point in the past or that the action extends to the present:

ACTIONS STARTED IN THE PAST AND CONTINUING IN THE PRESENT

 They haven't lived here for years.

 She has worked in the bank for five years.
 We have had the same car for ten years.
 Have you played the piano since you were a child?

WHEN THE TIME PERIOD REFERRED TO HAS NOT FINISHED

 I have worked hard this week.

 It has rained a lot this year.
 We haven't seen her today.

ACTIONS REPEATED IN AN UNSPECIFIED PERIOD BETWEEN THE PAST AND NOW.

 They have seen that film six times

 It has happened several times already.
 She has visited them frequently.
 We have eaten at that restaurant many times.

ACTIONS COMPLETED IN THE VERY RECENT PAST (+JUST)

 Have you just finished work?

 I have just eaten.
 We have just seen her.
 Has he just left?

WHEN THE PRECISE TIME OF THE ACTION IS NOT IMPORTANT OR NOT KNOWN

 Someone has eaten my soup!

 Have you seen 'Gone with the Wind'?
 She's studied Japanese, Russian, and English.

The past perfect refers to a time earlier than before now. It is used to make it clear that one event
happened before another in the past. It does not matter which event is mentioned first - the tense
makes it clear which one happened first.

Event A Event B
John had gone out when I arrived in the office.
Event A Event B
I had saved my document before the computer crashed.
Event B Event A
When they arrived we had already started cooking.
Event B Event A
He was very tired because he hadn't slept well.

PAST PERFECT + JUST

'Just' is used with the past perfect to refer to an event that was only a short time earlier than before now,
e.g.

 The train had just left when I arrived at the station.

 She had just left the room when the police arrived.
 I had just put the washing out when it started to rain.
 The PAST PROGRESSIVE TENSE indicates continuing action, something that was happening, going on, at some
point in the past. This tense is formed with the helping "to be" verb, in the past tense, plus the present participle of
the verb (with an -ing ending):

 I was riding my bike all day yesterday.

 Joel was being a terrible role model for his younger brother.

The past progressive indicates a limited duration of time and is thus a convenient way to indicate that something
took place (in the simple past) while something else was happening:
 Carlos lost his watch while he was running.

The past progressive can express incomplete action.

 I was sleeping on the couch when Bertie smashed through the door.

Singular Plural
I was walking we were walking
you were walking you were walking
he/she/it was walking they were walking

Singular Plural
I was sleeping we were sleeping
you were sleeping you were sleeping
he/she/it was sleeping they were sleeping

Singular Plural
I was being we were being
you were being you were being
he/she/it was being they were being
The present progressive tense is used for an on-going action in the present.

Examples of the Present Progressive Tense

 Caroline is looking for the latest brochure.

 Dan and Billy are fishing off the pier.
You can also have a negative version:

 Caroline is not looking for the latest brochure.

 Dan and Billy are not fishing off the pier.

And the question version:

 Is Caroline looking for the latest brochure?

 Are Dan and Billy fishing off the pier?

The present progressive tense can also be used to describe an activity which is going to happen in the
future (especially for planned activities). For example:

 We are moving to New Zealand in the summer.

 The train is arriving in 2 minutes.
 V1 V2 V3
BASE FORM OF VERB PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE

be (is, am,are) was, were been

beat beat beaten

become became become

begin began begun

bend bent bent

bet bet bet

bid bid bid

bite bit bitten

blow blew blown

break broke broken

bring brought brought

build built built

burn burned/burnt burned/burnt

buy bought bought

catch caught caught

choose chose chosen

come came come

cost cost cost

cut cut cut

dig dug dug

dive dove dived

 V1 V2 V3
BASE FORM OF VERB PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE

do did done

draw drew drawn

dream dreamed/dreamt dreamed/dreamt

drive drove driven

drink drank drunk

eat ate eaten

fall fell fallen

feel felt felt

fight fought fought

find found found

fly flew flown

forget forgot forgotten

forgive forgave forgiven

freeze froze frozen

get got gotten

give gave given

go went gone

grow grew grown

hang hung hung

have had had

hear heard heard

 V1 V2 V3
BASE FORM OF VERB PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE

hide hid hidden

hit hit hit

hold held held

hurt hurt hurt

keep kept kept

know knew known

lay laid laid

lead led led

leave left left

lend lent lent

let let let

lie lay lain

lose lost lost

make made made

mean meant meant

meet met met

pay paid paid

put put put

read read read

ride rode ridden

ring rang rung

 V1 V2 V3
BASE FORM OF VERB PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE

rise rose risen

run ran run

say said said

see saw seen

sell sold sold

send sent sent

show showed shown

shut shut shut

sing sang sung

sit sat sat

sleep slept slept

speak spoke spoken

spend spent spent

stand stood stood

swim swam swum

take took taken

teach taught taught

tear tore torn

tell told told

think thought thought

throw threw thrown

 V1 V2 V3
BASE FORM OF VERB PAST SIMPLE PAST PARTICIPLE

understand understood understood

wake woke woken

wear wore worn

win won won

write wrote written