Past Continuous – to be (past) + Ving (it mirrors Present Cont)

Activity in progress at a past moment (or period): Temporary value

1. This time yesterday I was typing a report.
2. When I met him, he was going to the museum.
When his mother returned, John was working on his computer.
3. While we were reading, they were writing.

Plans, arrangements, intentions as viewed from the past: Future value

He left home at 6 a.m. He was meeting John at 6.30 a.m.
Diane said they were having dinner together that evening.
He was going to tell her what we had done.

Repeated actions in the past which annoyed the speaker: Emotional value
He was always calling her late at night.
Jim was constantly coming late to work during his first months of employment.

Temporal frame value Temporal frame

As she was walking down the street, she noticed a graffiti painting on the Palace of Parliament.
While he was talking to me, he started coughing compulsively.

In this case the past continuous form supports the background description in a narrative. It provides a
temporal frame around another action expressed by means of a simple past. Again, the event denoted by the
simple form takes place during the activity expressed by past continuous:

This was a story about an invalid who spent most of his day in bed.
He had a powerful telescope and he amused himself by watching the activities of the people in the opposite houses.
One day while he was watching No. 24, he saw a murder being committed.

Past Simple
saw
----------------------------------------------------×-------------------------------------------------→
______________
was watching
Past Continuous – Temporal frame (for “saw”)

As the goalkeeper was running forward to seize the ball, a bottle struck him on the shoulder.
(he was struck)
I was running, when I slipped on the ice.
 Past Perfect – had + V f.III
Past action completed before a past moment (or another past action):
1. By the end of the last week I had already drawn up the report.
2. By last Tuesday, everybody had taken the test. Resultative

1. When I got home they had already left. Experiential

2. When they reached the theatre, the play had started. Anteriority value
3. They found out where she had buried the treasure. Resultative

Past Perfect Continuous – had been + Ving

Activity in progress in the past – up to a moment in the past
1. I had just been reading the new text, when I heard the bell.
2. This time yesterday I had been writing my homework for half an hour. Continuative
3. When he got home, she had been watching the TV program for an hour. Continuative

4. John had been driving very fast when he crashed into the other car. Resultative
5. He had oil on his face. He had been servicing the car. Resultative
6. He’d been asking for money over and over again. Emotional
7. Somebody had been giving away our plans. Emotional

Future Continuous – will be + Ving

Activity in progress at some time (period) in the future:

1. This time next week we’ll be crossing the Atlantic. Temporary
This time next year she’ll be running her own business.
I’ll be working in the office all evening.

2. When we reach the village, they’ll be working on the field.

3. While I am filling in a telegram form, he will be withdrawing some money from the bank counter.

Future-as-a-matter-of-course – action which will definitely happen in the future as the result of a routine or
arrangement
Stand here, they'll be changing the guard in a minute and you'll get a good view.
Don’t call Julie. I’ll be seeing her later, so I’ll pass the message on.
(their meeting is part of the ordinary course of events –
perhaps they work or do business together)
 Future Perfect – will have + V f.III

An action which will be finished before a stated future time or before another future action:
1. By the end of the year, your new maid will have broken all the cups.
They will have delivered all the items by 10 a.m.

2. When you come I’ll have finished my report.

I hope they’ll have repaired the road by the time we return.
He will have finished the report by the time the meeting starts.

Future Perfect Continuous – will have been + V-ing

When the focus does not concentrate on the result, but rather on the continuity of the action, we use the
progressive form:

By the end of the month, he will have been teaching students for a year.

By the end of the month, I'll have been working for this firm for a year.
 Future Simple – Will + V-infinitiv scurt

Will is normally known as the predictive future, and describes known facts, or what we suppose true.
(often with the verbs think, believe, expect etc., the expressions be sure, be afraid, adverbs probably,
perhaps, certainly etc.)

I'll be late home this evening.

The company will make a profit next year.
I’m afraid we won’t be on time for the meeting.

This can also take the form of an assumption.

That'll be Jim at the door. (This means that I suppose it is Jim.)

Will is also used to express an immediate decision. (on-the-spot decision)

I’ll take this one.
I’ll take this leg of lamb (in a supermarket)

Promises (with the verbs promise, swear, guarantee etc.) threats, warnings, requests, hopes (with the verb
hope) and offers
I don’t understand this exercise. Will you help me with it? (request)

Actions/events/situations which will definitely happen in the future and which we cannot control:
The temperature will reach 40•C tomorrow.

The speaker’s opinions, speculations, assumptions about the future

Remember! Future tenses are never used in temporal clauses / subordinates (when, as soon as, while,
till/until, whenever, before, after).

Instead we use the corresponding form of the present tense: Future simple → Present simple
Future Cont. → Present Cont.
Future Perfect → Present Perfect

As soon as the lesson ends, Tom will go out to play.

I’ll give her the message when she comes back.

While I am filling in a telegram form, he will be withdrawing some money from the bank counter.
(instead of Future Cont)

We will have a press conference as soon as we have received the company’s annual report.
(instead of Future Perfct)