29/10/2020 Grammar

Grammar reference
Material for English courses

1.2 Simple and continuous

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The tenses of most main verbs have two possibilities:

Simple Continuous

Present They walk. They are walking.

Past They walked. They were walking.

Present Perfect They have walked. They have been walking.

Past perfect They had walked. They had been walking.

Future with will They will walk. They will be walking.

Future Perfect They will have walked. They will have been walking.

Other modals They may walk. They may be walking.

See also stative verbs.

The passive also has both possibilities, although it is unusual in the more complicated forms.

Simple Continuous

Present It is taken It is being taken

Past It was taken It was being taken

Present Perfect It has been taken (unusual)

Past perfect It had been taken (unusual)

Future with will It will be taken (unusual)

Future perfect It will have been taken (unusual)

Other modals It may be taken (unusual)

Note: when the –ing form is a verb, it is called the

For the use of the simple and continuous, see specific entries,
e.g.: past simple, present continuous, etc.

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