VERBAL TENSES

Past- Present-Future
Past Perfect Affirmative/
Continuous Negative/
Interrogative

I had been reading for at least

a year before my sister
learned to read.
A continuous action had
happened before another I had not been reading for at
least a year before my sister
action
learned to read

Had he been reading a

book since morning?
 Past Perfect
Continuous Subject + (AUX) Had + been + verb
(ING) + complement

She had been waiting She hadn’t been Had she been waiting
for us waiting for us for us?
C
o
n
t
i
n
u
o
u
s
Past Perfect Affirmative/
Negative/
Interrogative

I had read at least 100 books

Past action that happened by the time I was twelve.
before another action
I had not read a
book

Had you read a

book?
 Past
Perfect Subject + (AUX) Had+ verb (past
participle) + complement

She had eaten sushi She hadn’t eaten Had she eaten
sushi sushi?
Simple Past Affirmative/
Negative/
Interrogative
An action that begin in the
past and finish in an
determinate time
Last night, I read an
entire novel.
An action that begin and finish
in the past I didn’t read a
book yesterday

An repetitive activity that Did you read a

happened in the past book yesterday?
 Simple
Past

Verb TO BE:

It was awesome
Regular verbs:
C She was a good friend Irregular Verbs:
o He called me when I was busy
I did the housework
n We loved the movie yesterday
t
i She looked at me very angry She took more than one
Auxiliaries
candy
n
u I didn’t do that
I understood the lesson
o Did she come home?
u
s Did you try it? The auxiliay (DID) is for Negative sentences and Questions
Past Continuous Affirmative/
Negative/
Interrogative
Actions that continue after an
interruptions
I was reading Edgar
Allan Poe last night.
Plans made in the past

I wasn’t reading a
Repetitive action in the past
book
and a repetitive state
Were you reading a
book?
 Past
Continuous

It was raining It wasn’t raining Was it raining?

Subject + verb to be in past + verb (ING) + complement

Present Perfect Affirmative/
Continuous Negative/
Interrogative
An action that happened in the
past and it’s finished recently
I have been reading since I
An action that began in the was four years old.
past and continues in the
present He has not been
reading a book
A repetitive action in a period since morning
of time in the past and
continues in the present
Has he been reading a
An action in progress book since morning?
 Present
Perfect
Continuous
Subject + (AUX) Have + been + verb
(ING) + complement

He has been He hasn’t been Has he been

working hard working hard working hard?

C
o
n
t
i
n
u
o
u
s
Present Perfect Affirmative/
Negative/
Interrogative

An action happens in an I have read so many books I

can’t keep count.
unspecified time
He has not read
a book

Has he read a
book?
 Present
Perfect Subject + (AUX) Have + verb (past participle) +
complement

You have read this You haven’t read this Have you read this
book book book?
Have you EVER try
something (Have you
ever eaten insects?)
until She find a good home
 Simple Present Affirmative/
Negative/
Interrogative
USES:

Real Facts

Feelings Subject+ to He reads a book daily

be+complement
Schedule

Introduccions He doesn’t read a

subject+ verb in
present+compliment book daily
Routines

Descriptions
subject in third person
verb (s) + complement Does he read a
book daily?
 Simple
Present

Verb To BE

We are in the party

It’s cloudy
C
o Regular verbs: Irregular Verbs:
n
t Auxiliaries: I walk to school she enjoys dancing
every morning
i
Do you understand You cook very well
n She likes Asian food
the topic?
u I do the housework
o Does he live abroad?
s Don’t do that
The auxiliary (DO) is for Negative sentences and Questions
Present Affirmative/
Continuous Negative/
Interrogative
An specific action that happens
at the moment
I am reading Shakespeare
at the moment.
Near future plans
He is not reading
a book
An activity that happens for a
long period of time
Is he reading a
book?
Common STATIVE He is studying He isn’t Is he studying
VERBS DON’T USE now studying now now?
present continuous
 Present Subject + verb to be in present + verb (ING)+
Continuous complement

Do not use the present continuous tense with

stative verbs. Stative verbs show a state of being
that does not show qualities of change. These
verbs can stay in the simple present
Future Perfect Affirmative/
Continuous Negative/
Interrogative

Shows cause an effect in the

I will have been reading for
future at least two hours before
dinner tonight.
I will not have been
Shows that something
reading a book since
continues until another action morning
in the future
Will you have been
reading a book since
morning?
 Future Perfect
Continuous Subject + will + (AUX) have + been + verb (ING)
+ complement

You will have been You won’t have Will you have been
working been working working?
C
o
n
t
i
n
u
o
u
s
 Future Perfect Affirmative/
Negative/
Interrogative

Express that an action will

occur before another event
He will have read a
in the future
book
It can appear with the
preoposition By at the He will not have
beginning of the sentence read a book

Will he have read

a book?
 Future Subject + will + (AUX) Have + Verb (past
Perfect participle) + complement

He will have arrived He won’t have Will he have

arrived arrived?
Future Simple Affirmative/
Negative/
Interrogative
WILL / GOING TO
GOING TO:

use it when you are sure that

I will read as much
something is going to happen as I can this year.

WILL:

Use it to make predictions,

something that you are not sure
is going to happen
Will you read the
book?
 Future
Simple Subject + will + verb (infinitive) +
complement

I will read as much as I can this year.

He will go to the He won’t go to the Will he go to the

office office office?

C
o
n
t
i
n
u
o
s
Future Affirmative/
Continuous Negative/
Interrogative

WILL BE + Verb(ing)

BE GOING TO + Verb(ing) I will be reading the

book in my room

An action that will be realizing in I won’t be reading

a concrete moment in the future the book in my room

Will you be reading the

book in your room?
 Future
Continuous Subject + will be + verb (ING) + complement

We will be travelling We won’t be Will we be

travelling travelling?
 Simple Present
VS
Present Continuous
Present Perfect
VS
Simple Past
PRESENT PERFECT PAST SIMPLE
 Simple Past
VS
Past Continuous
Practice!

Present continuous

https://www.ejerciciosinglesonline.com/new-exercises/presente-continuo/

Past continuous

https://www.ejerciciosinglesonline.com/new-exercises/ex1-pasado-continuo/

Present perfect continuous

https://www.ejerciciosinglesonline.com/new-exercises/presente-perfecto-continuo-ex1/

Future

https://www.ejerciciosinglesonline.com/new-exercises/ex1-futuro-simple/
Practice

Present perfect

https://www.ejerciciosinglesonline.com/new-exercises/ex1-presente-perfecto-simple/

Simple present vs Present continuous

https://www.ejerciciosinglesonline.com/new-exercises/ex1-presente-simple-vs-continuo-ejercicio/

Past simple vs past continuous

https://www.ejerciciosinglesonline.com/new-exercises/ex1-pasado-simple-vs-continuo-ejercicio/

Verb tenses

https://agendaweb.org/verbs-exercises.html
Practice!

Stative and dynamic verbs

https://www.really-learn-english.com/dynamic-verbs-and-stative-verbs-exercise-01.html

https://www.really-learn-english.com/dynamic-verbs-and-stative-verbs-exercise-03.html