Ibn Soulaymane Arrassmouki

Technical High School

English Tenses (Overview)

Tense Signal Use Form Examples Examples Examples

Words Affirmative Negative Interrogative
üRepeated actions.
every day,
üHow often something
frequently,
happens. I ……………………………… I ……………………………… ……………………………… ?
habitually,
üFacts and general You ……….…..…………… You …………..…………… ……………………………… ?
occasionally,
truths (things in general) He ……………...………….. He ……………..………….. ……………………………… ?
sometimes,
üAfter the following She …………………………. She …………………………. ……………………………… ?
Simple always, Infinitive
verbs (to love, to hate, to It ………………..…………… It ………………..…………… ……………………………… ?
Present often,
think, etc.) -He/she/it + s
usually,
üOne action after the We …….……………………. We …….……………………. ……………………………… ?
seldom,
other. (e.g. tour guide) You …………………………. You …………………………. ……………………………… ?
never,
üFuture meaning: They ………………………… They ………………………… ……………………………… ?
rarely,
Timetables,
first … then… .
programmes.
I ……………………….……… I ……………………………… ……………………………… ?
üActions happening at
You ………………….……… You …………..…………… ……………………………… ?
the moment of speaking
To be He ………………….……….. He ……………..………….. ……………………………… ?
now, or around it.
Present She ……………….…………. She …………………………. ……………………………… ?
(am/are/is) +
Continuous at the moment, üFuture meaning: when
It ………………..…………… It ………………..…………… ……………………………… ?
(Progressive) look! you have already Infinitive +
listen! decided and arranged to ing. We …….……………………. We …….……………………. ……………………………… ?
do something (a fixed
You …………………………. You …………………………. ……………………………… ?
plan, date…)
They ………………………… They ………………………… ……………………………… ?
I ……………………………… I ……………………………… ……………………………… ?
last …,
üActions that took place Regular: You …………..….………… You …………..…………… ……………………………… ?
… ago,
at a fixed time in the Infinitive + ed He ……………..….……….. He ……………..………….. ……………………………… ?
in 2007,
past, mostly connected She …………………………. She …………………………. ……………………………… ?
Simple Past yesterday,
when I was/they
with an expression of Irregular: It ………………..…………… It ………………..…………… ……………………………… ?
time (no connection to Different forms, We …….……………………. We …….……………………. ……………………………… ?
were (young…)
the present) e.g. went, fell… You …………………………. You …………………………. ……………………………… ?
They ………………………… They ………………………… ……………………………… ?
 I ……………………………… I ……………………………… ……………………………… ?
üAn ongoing past action You …………...…………… You …………..…………… ……………………………… ?
was happening at a He ……………...………….. He ……………..………….. ……………………………… ?
Past specific moment of Was/were + She …………………………. She …………………………. ……………………………… ?
Continuous …… when …. interruption, or two infinitive + It ………………..…………… It ………………..…………… ……………………………… ?
(Progressive) …… while …. ongoing actions were ing.
happening at the same We …….……………………. We …….……………………. ……………………………… ?
time. You …………………………. You …………………………. ……………………………… ?
They ………………………… They ………………………… ……………………………… ?
üAn action which has I ……………………………… I ……………………………… ……………………………… ?
just, yet, never, happened or finished in You …………..…….……… You …………..…………… ……………………………… ?
Present ever, already, so the past but still has a Have/has + He ……………..….……….. He ……………..………….. ……………………………… ?
far, up to now / up connection or effect on She …………………………. She …………………………. ……………………………… ?
Perfect past
until now, since, the present. It ………………..…………… It ………………..…………… ……………………………… ?
Simple for, before, lately, üAn action which participle. We …….……………………. We …….……………………. ……………………………… ?
recently… started in the past and You …………………………. You …………………………. ……………………………… ?
continues to the present. They ………………………… They ………………………… ……………………………… ?
üA long/progressive I ……………………………… I ……………………………… ……………………………… ?
How long ….. ? action which began in You ………………………… You …………..…………… ……………………………… ?
Present Since the past and has just Have/has + He ………………………….. He ……………..………….. ……………………………… ?
Perfect for stopped/ finished. She …………………………. She …………………………. ……………………………… ?
Continuous …………………………… üHow long an action has
been+ It ………………..…………… It ………………..…………… ……………………………… ?
(Progressive) …………………………… been happening. infinitive+ ing. We …….……………………. We …….……………………. ……………………………… ?
…………………………… Emphasis: length of time You …………………………. You …………………………. ……………………………… ?
of an action They ………………………… They ………………………… ……………………………… ?
üMostly when two
already, actions in a I ……………………….……… I ……………………….……… ……………………………… ?
just, story/narrative are You …………..………..…… You …………..………..…… ……………………………… ?
ever/never, related to each other; He …………………….…….. He ……………..…….…….. ……………………………… ?
Past yet, the action which She ……………….…………. She …………………………. ……………………………… ?
Had + past
Perfect before/after happened first is put into It ………………..…………… It ………………..…………… ……………………………… ?
Simple …………………………… the past perfect, the participle.
…………………………… second action into the We …….……………………. We …….……………………. ……………………………… ?
…………………………… simple past. You …………………………. You …………………………. ……………………………… ?
üThe past of the present They ………………………… They ………………………… ……………………………… ?
perfect.
 I ……………………….……… I ……………………….……… ……………………………… ?
How long ….. ? You …………..………..…… You …………..………..…… ……………………………… ?
Since üHow long something Had + been + He ……………..…….…….. He ……………..…….…….. ……………………………… ?
Past Perfect
Continuous for had been happening
infinitive +
She …………………………. She …………………………. ……………………………… ?
(Progressive) …………………………… before something else
ing.
It ………………..…………… It ………………..…………… ……………………………… ?
…………………………… happened. We …….……………………. We …….……………………. ……………………………… ?
…………………………… You …………………………. You …………………………. ……………………………… ?
They ………………………… They ………………………… ……………………………… ?
üPredictions about the I ……………………….……… I ……………………….……… ……………………………… ?
future (you think that You …………..………..…… You …………..………..…… ……………………………… ?
Tomorrow
something will happen) He …………………….…….. He ……………..…….…….. ……………………………… ?
Next …………..….…..
Future - üYou decide to do will + She …………….……………. She …………………………. ……………………………… ?
The coming …………
Will ……………………………
something infinitive It ………………..…………… It ………………..…………… ……………………………… ?
spontaneously at the We …….……………………. We …….……………………. ……………………………… ?
……………………………
time of speaking. You …………………………. You …………………………. ……………………………… ?
(promising; offering…) They ………………………… They ………………………… ……………………………… ?
üWhen you have I ……………………….……… I ……………………….……… ……………………………… ?
decided to do something You …………..………..…… You …………..………..…… ……………………………… ?
Tomorrow Be
Future – in the future. (planned He ……………..…….…….. He ……………..…….…….. ……………………………… ?
Next …………..….…..
actions). (am/are/is) She …………………………. She …………………………. ……………………………… ?
“Be” going The coming …………
to ……………………………
üWhen you think that + going to + It ………………..…………… It ………………..…………… ……………………………… ?
something will happen. infinitive. We …….……………………. We …….……………………. ……………………………… ?
……………………………
(Predictions with You …………………………. You …………………………. ……………………………… ?
evidence) They ………………………… They ………………………… ……………………………… ?
I ……………………….……… I ……………………….……… ……………………………… ?
…………………………… You …………..………..…… You …………..………..…… ……………………………… ?
…………………………… üAn action that will be Will + be + He ……………..…….…….. He ……………..…….…….. ……………………………… ?
Future
Continuous …………………………… continuous/progressive
infinitive +
She …………………………. She …………………………. ……………………………… ?
(Progressive) …………………………… at a certain time in the
ing.
It ………………..…………… It ………………..…………… ……………………………… ?
…………………………… future. We …….……………………. We …….……………………. ……………………………… ?
You …………………………. You …………………………. ……………………………… ?
They ………………………… They ………………………… ……………………………… ?
I ……………………….……… I ……………………….……… ……………………………… ?
By (tomorrow, üSomething will already
Future Will + have + You …………..………..…… You …………..………..…… ……………………………… ?
next …., ……) have happened before a
He ……………..…….…….. He ……………..…….…….. ……………………………… ?
Perfect By the end of certain time in the past
It ………………..…………… It ………………..…………… ……………………………… ?
Simple (next…., ……..) future. participle. We …….……………………. We …….……………………. ……………………………… ?
This time next ……
They ………………………… They ………………………… ……………………………… ?
 üA long/progressive I ……………………….……… I ……………………….……… ……………………………… ?
action will have already You …………..………..…… You …………..………..…… ……………………………… ?
Future happened before a Will + have + He ……………..…….…….. He ……………..…….…….. ……………………………… ?
Perfect certain time in the been + She …………………………. She …………………………. ……………………………… ?
Continuous future, or might even infinitive + It ………………..…………… It ………………..…………… ……………………………… ?
(Progressive) continue after that time. ing. We …….……………………. We …….……………………. ……………………………… ?
Emphasis: length of the You …………………………. You …………………………. ……………………………… ?
action. They ………………………… They ………………………… ……………………………… ?