Tenses
Present simple
1. Habits, routines, repeated actions that happen usually, often regularly,
occasionally, sometimes and things that happen on certain days or
occasions. (I always get up at8.)
2. Permanent situations, truths and things believed to be true. (My sister
lives next door. The river flows in a south direction.)
3. States, senses, feelings that are generally true, using verbs such as
believe, know, live, have, like, taste. (I feel sorry for him.)
4. States, senses and feelings happening around now. (This tea tastes
funny. I don’t trust her.)
5. Timetabled or planned event in the future. (The train arrives at 3.)
6. The future after if or when (Just ring me when she arrives.)
7. Newspaper headlines (President declares state of emergency.)
8. Jokes and anecdotes (A bear walks in a bar and says…)
Past simple
1. To talk about momentary past events. (They bought the paintings in
1989.)
2. To narrate a sequence of actions to tell a story. (The candle flared, then
flickered and went out.)
3. To talk about things that happened over a period of time in the past.
(He studied theology in Vienna for three years.)
4. To talk about repeated past events. (We went to church every Sunday.)
5. To talk about sudden events, in contrast to another ongoing
background action. (He was singing when she came.)
6. To talk about events happening at the same time (She watched me with
interest while I ate.)
7. After if, to make the idea sound unlikely or impossible. (If Luke paid
more attention in class, he would achieve better results.)
Present continuous
1. Things happening right now. (I am reading now.)
2. Things happening around now. Talking about states or events in
progress that are of limited duration. (We are looking for writers.
She is serving life for murder.)
3. Repeated actions over a temporary period. (She is teaching in
room 3 this week.). We use PP for moaning or complaining about
someone’s behaviour, habits. Although we use always, the
behaviour is perceived as happening for a short while.
4. Changes over time. (Property prices are still falling.)
Past continuous
1. Something in progress over a certain past period. This could be a
continuous action or an action that happened repeatedly. (We
were making too much noise.)
2. Something in progress at a certain past moment-often using at or
on. (We were living in Edinburgh at the time. Why was him
wondering around the street at 2 o’clock on Sunday morning?)
3. Something in progress at the same time as something else was in
progress; typically using while, when or and. We can use past
progressive for both or only for one and simple past for the other.
(I was working in the garden while you were having lunch.)
4. Polite enquiries about the present. (I was wondering if I could use
your phone.)
5. Setting the background for a story before the actual narrative
begins with past simple verbs. (The sun was setting over the forest.
The last few tourists were wandering back to the hotels. Suddenly,
a loud noise echoed round the hills.)
Present perfect simple Present perfect progressive
1. Asking about a past experience in someone’s life 1. The progressive form sees the action as ongoing, temporary and
Have you ever travelled to Japan? incomplete.
2. Things that happened in the very recent past-very close to now 2. May also be used by the speaker to emphasise the duration of the
He has just gone out for a few minutes. action. This tense can be used to complain, to whinge, to criticise.
3. Things that happened one or a number of times in an unfinished period
of time that started in the past and continued up to now.
We have been burgled!
4. Changes over time
I have put on 2 kilos.
5. States that started in the past and continue up to now.
My family has lived in this area for years.
6. To show that something happened earlier than expected.
I have already paid for everything.
7. To show that something has not yet happened.
He has not arrived yet.

Past perfect simple Past perfect progressive

1. One thing happened before another (often using when or by the time)
By the time we arrived at the centre, the conference had finished.
John had already left for work when Susie called
2. Background events (to narrate earlier background events that
happened before the starting point of the story)
3. Something expected, planned or intended that did not happen before
something else happened
The deal was announced before she had agreed to it.
4. Superlative sentences
It was the best meal I had ever had.
5. Reported speech
She said he had broken the record.
Future
1. For a past event that was in progress up to a certain moment in
the past.
I had been driving for hours when we saw something in the sky.
2. To emphasise the duration of something
She had been waiting at the airport for five hours before he
arrived.
3. To explain a reason for something in the past
We failed the test because we had been studying the wrong book.