MILO NAVARRO

INSLV “JUAN RAMÓN FERNÁNDEZ”

TRADUCTORADO DE INGLÉS
LENGUA INGLESA I
CÁTEDRA BÁRBARA P. GARCÍA
WRAP-UP SESSION: TENSES

THE PRESENT

PRESENT SIMPLE ⃟ Facts / Permanent situations: Water boils at 100° C.

⃟ Regular activities and routine: We always take the train.
⃟ Telling stories: The story takes place in Australia.
⃟ Commentaries / Quick actions: Smith takes off, Almeida
passes...
⃟ Describing states: I don’t believe that story.

PRESENT ⃟ Actions happening now: I’m just finishing something…

PROGRESSIVE ⃟ Temporary situations: They’re spending the summer with
us.
⃟ Repeated actions in a temporary time frame: I’m watching
the neighbour’s plants everyday this week as she’s out of town.
⃟ Criticizing someone: You’re always losing your phone.
⃟ Changes and trends: Covid cases are getting worse.
⃟ Describing pictures: A dog is coming into the room.

EXAM SPOILER: Some verbs describe a continuing state, so do not usually have
STATIVE VERBS a continuous form. Some examples are believe, belong,
consist, contain, doubt, fit, have, know, like, love, matter, mean,
own, prefer, understand, seem, suppose, suspect, want, wish

Some verbs have a stative meaning and a different active

meaning. Typical examples are be, depend, feel, measure,
see, taste, think, weigh

Jack is noisy / Jack is being noisy

Deidre has a Porsche / We are having an interesting chat
I think I like you / Paul is thinking about getting a new job
This fish tastes awful / I’m tasting the soup
I feel that you’re wrong / I’m feeling terrible
This bag weighs a ton / We are weighing the baby
It depends what you mean / I am depending on you

THE PAST

PAST SIMPLE ⃟ Completed actions in the past: I bought a new phone last
week.
⃟ Repeated actions in the past: My sister took the test eight
times.
⃟ Sequence of past actions: We arrived at the airport and
took an Uber to the hotel.
⃟ Past states: We lived in Chile for several years.

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PAST PROGRESSIVE ⃟ An action in progress at a time in the past: We didn’t hear

you knock because we were sleeping on the top floor.
⃟ Temporary situations in the past: We were living in
Beijing at the time of the 2008 Olympics.
⃟ Repeated actions in a temporary time frame: For the first
three months he was recieving treatment every week.
⃟ A background situation: Darkness was falling over the
city…
⃟ Unfulfilled plans: I was hoping to study law.
⃟ An interrupted action: He was texting when the car
crashed.
⃟ Criticizing someone: He always borrowing money.

USED TO / WOULD ⃟ Used to is more often used when talking about past
actions and states that no longer happen / exist: I used to
get paid weekly.
⃟ Would is not used for states.
⃟ Would is used for past actions that no longer happen:
She would be away for weeks at a time in those days.

PERFECT TENSES (“BRIDGE TENSES”)

PRESENT PERFECT ⃟ Indefinite past time (to talk about experiences): My mom
has worked for several different companies.
⃟ A past action with present results: She’s gone out.
⃟ Recent events: The plane has just landed.
⃟ Situations that started in the past and continue up to
now: My family has been living here since 1994.
⃟ Giving news:
⃟ Actions in a time period that is still continuing: He’s
driven 500 kilometres this week.
⃟ With adverbs such as yet, already, so far: We’ve recieved
over 1,000 entries for the competition so far.

PRESENT PERFECT ⃟ Ongoing actions/situations and to focus on duration

PROGRESSIVE (often with for or since): Sam’s been living with her
cousins/We’ve been waiting to see the dentist for three hours.
⃟ A recent action with present results: My room is in a mess
because I’ve been decorating

PAST PERFECT ⃟ An action before a time or another action in the past:

Before I found a job, I had been to thirty interviews.
⃟ Giving reasons for past actions/feelings: Sam was
unhappy because his husband hadn’t brought him a present.
⃟ Unfulfilled plans: They had hoped to get to the summit but
it proved impossible.

PAST PERFECT ⃟ Ongoing past actions/states before another time/action:

PROGRESSIVE They had been working for over an hour when the auditors
turned up.
⃟ Focus on duration: She had been trying to get the film
made for more than fifteen years.
⃟ Giving reasons for past actions/feelings: They were
exhausted as they’ve been driving all afternoon.

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THE FUTURE

FUTURE SIMPLE ⃟ Certain future: New year’s day will fall on a Friday next
year.
⃟ Predictions (What we think will happen based on previous
knowledge/experiences): Don’t wait for Alex, they’ll be late as
usual.
⃟ Immediate decisions: I’m tired. I think I’ll go to bed now.
⃟ To express determination: I won’t believe a word you say
again!

GOING TO FUTURE ⃟ Future plans and intentions: I’m going to be a vet one day.
⃟ Predictions (because of something in the present): They’re
going to have a baby

PRESENT ⃟ Future arrangements: I’ve got the tickets. We’re sitting in

CONTINUOUS row B.

FUTURE CONTINUOUS ⃟ Actions in progress at a time in the future: Come to the

main door, we’ll be waiting for you.
⃟ A deduction about the present: He’ll be getting ready for
the concert now.
⃟ A routine event in the future: We’ll be having our weekly
meeting tomorrow.
⃟ Tactful questions about plans and tactful refusals: Max
will be working so he can’t come.

FUTURE PERFECT ⃟ Actions completed by a time in the future: Sam will have
had the operation by May and should feel a lot better by then.

SIMPLE PRESENT ⃟ Fixed future events in schedules after when, as soon as,
etc.: The JFK flight arrives at 10. As soon as I get there, I’ll call
you.