English Tenses

1. Present Simple/Simple Present

Forms:

1. Positive: Subject + Present Simple Verb (V0/Vs)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Do/Does + Not + V0… .
3. Question: (Wh-Words) Do/Does + Subject + V0…?

- I/You/We/They work.
- He/She/It works.
- I/You/We/They do not (doesn’t) work.
- He/She/It does not (doesn’t) work.
- (Where) Do I/you/we/they work?
- (Where) Does he/she/it work?

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. Use the present simple tense to talk about habits. - Some people rush through life.
- They don’t relax.
- Other people are calm.
- They don’t feel tense.

2. Use adverbs of frequency with the present simple - She never relaxes.
tense to express how often something happens. - You usually take life easier.
- We sometimes sleep late.
- They seldom take a vacation.

Be careful! Adverbs of frequency usually come - We usually rush around too much.
before the main verb, but they go after the verb be. - We’re often stressed out.

3. Use the present simple tense to talk about scientific - Stress causes high blood pressure.
facts. - Water freezes at 32°F.

4. Use the present simple tense for giving - The little boy opens his bedroom door and he sees a
descriptions of games and reviews of plays, films, big box on his bed. He runs to the kitchen and tells
books, etc. his mother.
- The local team scores another goal!

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Note
Some frequency adverbs (usually, normally, often, frequently, sometimes, occasionally) can also go in the
beginning or end of a sentence.

- He writes often.
- We visit them frequently.
- Sometimes I am late for office.

We use other time expressions (on Wednesdays, on Fridays, on weekdays, every day/everyday, every week,
every month, once a day, twice a month, three times a year, at the weekend, in January, in the morning/the
afternoon/the evening, on Saturday morning/afternoon/evening) with the present simple to show how often
we do something. Their place is at the beginning or the end of the sentence.

- On Tuesdays he has a guitar lesson.

- She visits her grandmother once a week.
- In the afternoon, I sit in the garden and have a cup of tea.
- We don’t go to school on Sundays.
- I drink two glasses of milk every day.
- They go on holiday twice a year.

2. Present Progressive/Present Continuous

Forms:

1. Positive: Subject + Am/Is/Are + Present Participle (Ving)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Am/Is/Are + Not + Present Participle (Ving)… .
3. Question: (Wh-Words) Am/Is/Are + Subject + Present Participle (Ving)…?

- I am (’m) working.
- You/We/They are (’re) working.
- He/She/It is not (isn’t) working.
- I am (’m not) working.
- You/We/They are not (aren’t) working.
- He/She/It is not (isn’t) working.
- (Where) Am I working?
- (Where) Are you/we/they working?
- (Where) Is he/she/it working?

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. Use the present progressive for things happening - Sami is talking to Taro.
right now. - At the moment, Taro is speaking English.
- John is working with his father now.
- Please be quiet. Children are sleeping.

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 2. Use the present progressive for things happening - We’re studying in the U.S. this month.
these days. - Laura’s studying in France this year.
- Are you studying hard these days?
- She’s staying with her friend for a week.
- John is working in a bar until he finds a job in his
field.

3. Use the present progressive for a situation which is - Your English is improving.
gradually changing. - Technology is getting cheaper all the time.
- Global warming is becoming an important issue.
- My children are growing up quickly.
- The climate is changing rapidly.

4. Remember! Most non-action verbs are not usually - Jane wants to go home right now.
used in the present progressive even when they - Jane is wanting to go home right now.
describe a situation that exists at the moment of - She likes this movie at the moment.
speaking. - She is liking this movie at the moment.

Time signposts
With the present progressive we use these time expressions (now, right now, just now, at the moment, at
present, today, these days, this week/month/year). Their place is at the begging or the end of sentence.

- It isn’t raining at the moment.

- He’s working hard these days.
- Peter is washing the car right now.

Non-action Verbs
These verbs usually indicate a state. They do not have a progressive form even they refer to the present time.
Such verbs are:

➢ verbs of the senses: see, look, notice, hear, sound, smell, taste, feel
➢ verbs that express likes or dislikes: like, dislike, love, hate, prefer, not mind
➢ verbs of thinking: think, believe, know, understand, realize, seem, remember, remind, forget
➢ other verbs: have, want, need, cost, mean, own, belong to, suit, fit, lack, consist of, contain.

Some of the verbs that we have referred to have a double meaning, i.e. they indicate both a state and an action.
In this case, when the verb is not stative, but indicates an action, it may have a progressive form. Let’s compare
the following examples:

Present Simple Present Continuous

I see her! There she is! (see = see)
The silk feels soft. (feel = has texture)
Dinner tastes great. (taste = taste)
These socks smell awful. (smell = have an odour)
I think you’re pretty. (think = consider)
We have a small house. (have = have)
He looks ill. (look = appear)
William is stupid. (It’s part of his personality.)
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I’m seeing him today. (see = meet)
She’s feeling the silk. (feel = touch)
He’s tasting the soup. (taste = try)
The dog is smelling its food. (smell = smell)
Are you thinking about the test? (think = think)
She’s having a bath. (have = bathe)
They’re looking at us. (look = look)
William is being stupid. (only now, not usually)
3. Past Simple/Simple Past (Simple Preterite)

Forms:

1. Positive: Subject + Past Simple Verb (Ved)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Did + Not + V0… .
3. Question: (Wh-Words) Did + Subject + V0…?

- I/You/We/They worked.
- He/She/It worked.
- I/You/We/They did not (didn’t) work.
- He/She/It did not (didn’t) work.
- (Where) Did I/you/we/they work?
- (Where) Did he/she/it work?

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. Use the past simple tense to talk about things that - Albert Rimes lived in the twentieth century.
are now finished. - Her father died last year.
- John Cabot sailed to America in 1498.
- They got home very late last night.
- He was a poet.

2. You can use the past simple tense with time - By 1930, he was famous.
expressions that refer to the past (last week, by 1980, - He died more than ten years ago.
in the twentieth century, fifty years ago). - I met my wife in 1983.

4. Past Progressive/Past Continuous

Forms:

1. Positive: Subject + Was/Were + Present Participle (Ving)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Was/Were + Not + Present Participle (Ving)… .
3. Question: (Wh-Words) Was/Were + Subject + Present Participle (Ving)…?

- You/We/They were (’re) working.

- He/She/It/I was not (wasn’t) working.
- You/We/They were not (weren’t) working.
- He/She/It was not (wasn’t) working.
- (Where) Were you/we/they working?
- (Where) Was he/she/it/I working?

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 Grammar Explanations Examples
1. Use the past progressive to describe an action that A: What were you doing at 3:00?
was in progress at a specific time in the past. The B: We were skiing.
action began before the specific time and may or may C: I was eating lunch at 3:00.
not continue after the specific.

Be careful! Non-action verbs are not u usually used in - I had a headache last night.
the progressive. - I was having a headache last night.

2. Use the past progressive while and as to talk about - While he was skiing, I was skiing.
two actions in progress at the same time in the past. - I was reading while he was skiing.
Use the past progressive in both clauses. - They were painting the fence while I was cutting
the grass.

Usage Note: In informal conversation, some people - Sorry, I wasn’t listening when you were talking.
use when with the past progressive. - When she was cooking dinner, I was writing my
essay.

3. Use the past progressive with the past simple
tense to talk about an action that was interrupted by
another action. Use the past simple for the interrupted
action.
Use when to introduce the past simple tense action or
use while to introduce the past progressive action.
- I was crossing the street when the driver honked
his horn.
- I was watching TV when she called.
- When the phone rang, she was writing a letter.
- While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy.
- While I was writing the email, the computer
suddenly went off.

4. Use the past progressive to focus on the duration of - Sheila was reading a book last night.
an action, not its completion. (We don’t know if she finished the book.)

Use the past simple to focus on the completion of an - Sheila read a book last night.
action. (She probably finished the book.)

Time signposts
The time signposts that we usually use with the past progressive are:

• as: As I was shopping, I heard someone called my name.

• while: While I was driving a car, my car ran out of petrol.
• all day / night / evening: She was working all day yesterday.
• at twelve o’clock: What were you doing at twelve o’clock?
• at that time / at the time: At that time, I was having a bath.
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5. Present Perfect (Simple)

Forms:

1. Positive: Subject + Have/Has + Past Participle (Ven)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Have/Has + Not + Past Participle (Ven)… .
3. Question: (Wh-Words) Have/Has + Subject + Past Participle (Ven)…?

- I/You/We/They have (’ve) worked.

- He/She/It has (’s) worked.
- I/You/We/They have not (haven’t) worked.
- He/She/It has not (hasn’t) worked.
- (Where) Have I/you/we/they worked?
- (Where) Has he/she/it worked?

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. Use the present perfect to talk about something
that began in the past and continues into the present
(and may continue into the future).
(She began her professional tennis player years ago,
and she is still a professional player.)
- Martina Hingis has been a professional tennis
player since 1994.
- She has been a professional tennis player for years.
- I’ve met a lot of people in the last few days.
- Everything is going well. We haven’t had any
problems so far.
- We have lived here all our lives.
- It has been very warm lately.

2. Use the present perfect to talk about things that
happened at an indefinite time in the past. You can
use the present perfect when you don’t know when
something happened or when the specific time is not
important.
- They’ve won several awards.
- I’ve interviewed the whole cast.
- She’s been in a Hollywood movie.
- I’ve seen his show many times.

3. The present perfect expresses a past action that has - She has washed her hair. (Her hair is still wet.)
a present result. - I’ve lost my keys (so I can’t get into my house).
- She’s hurt her leg (so she can’t play tennis today).
- They’ve missed the bus (so they will be late).

Been vs. Gone

These two forms, been and gone, are used as the present perfect of the base verb go. Look at the difference
between them in the following examples:
- Our neighbours aren’t there. They’ve gone to the beach for the day. (They went to the beach and are there
now. They have not returned.)
- Our neighbours are back. They’ve been to the beach. (They were at the beach earlier but now they have
returned.)

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Time signposts
The time markers that we usually use with the present perfect are:

• just (little before now): The train has just left the station.
• yet (later than expected): She hasn’t phoned yet. Have you seen him yet?
• already (earlier than expected): We’ve already finished our work.
• for (a period of time): I haven’t seen her for ages.
• since (a point in time): They haven’t been here since last summer.
• ever (at any time in our life): Have you ever read ‘Treasure Island’?
• never (at any time in our life): My grandmother has never used a computer.
• so far (up to now): He has written two letters so far.
• recently (a short time ago): We’ve recently seen her. They haven’t visited us recently.
• lately (a short time ago): It’s been very warm lately.
• always (about the whole of your life until now): I’ve always wanted to go to Disneyland.
• how long? (ask for the length of time): How long have you known each other?
• before (in the time before the present): She hasn’t been married before.

Present Perfect and Past Simple

Present Perfect Past Simple

It refers to an unfinished action.
- I’ve written short stories.
- He’s written several books.
There is a present result.
- I’ve hurt my back.
- John has broken his leg.
It refers to indefinite past.
- I’ve seen him recently/before/since July.
- I haven’t met him yet/for months/long.
- She’s kept in touch with me up to now.
Some time markers like this morning/week/month and today can be used to refer either to the present or to
the past.
- I haven’t shaved this morning.
- I didn’t shave this morning.
It refers to a finished action.
- Shakespeare wrote plays.
- I lived in Texas for six years.
There is no present result.
- I hurt my back.
- John broke his leg.
It refers to definite past.
- I saw him last night/two weeks ago.
- I met him on Monday/at 8.00.
- Columbus discovered America in 1492.

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6. Present Perfect Progressive

Forms:

1. Positive: Subject + Have/Has + Been + Present Participle (Ving)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Have/Has + Not + Been + Present Participle (Ving)… .
3. Question: (Wh-Words) Have/Has + Subject + Been + Present Participle (Ving)…?

- I/You/We/They have (’ve) been working.

- He/She/It has (’s) been working.
- I/You/We/They have not (haven’t) been working.
- He/She/It has not (hasn’t) been working.
- (Where) Have I/you/we/they been working?
- (Where) Has he/she/it been working?

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. Use the present perfect progressive to talk about
things that started in the past and continue up to the
moment of speaking. The situation is usually not
finished, and it will probably continue into the future.
- I’ve been collecting Beanie Babies for four years.
- I have been living in New York for 20 years.
- She has been waiting for you all day.
- I’ve been working on this report since 8 o’clock.
- They have been travelling since last October.
- It’s been raining all day. It’s still raining right now.

(I started collecting them four years ago, and I’m still

collecting them.)

Remember! Non-action verbs are usually not used in - I’ve owned this doll for years.
the present perfect progressive. - I’ve been owning this doll for years.

2. Use the present perfect progressive to describe - The kids have been playing here. Their toys are all
things that have stopped very recently. The action is over the room.
not happening right now, but you can still see the - It’s been raining. The streets are still wet.
results of the action.

Time signposts
The time markers that we usually use with the present perfect continuous are:

• for: They’ve been sleeping for ten hours.

• since: It’s been raining since 6 o’clock.
• all morning/afternoon/evening/day/week: We’ve been waiting for you all morning.
• lately/recently: They haven’t been doing well at school lately.
• how long: How long has she been waiting here?

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Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Progressive

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. The present perfect often shows that something is - I’ve read a book about elephants.
finished. It focuses on the result of the action. (I finished the book.
- She’s written an article.
(She finished the article.)

The present perfect progressive often shows that an - I’ve been reading a book about elephants.
activity is unfinished. It focuses on the continuation of (I’m still reading it.)
an action. - She’s been writing an article.
(She’s still writing it.)

2. We often use the present perfect to talk about - I’ve read a lot about it.
– how much someone has done. - I’ve been to Africa twice.
– how many times some has done something. - She’s written three articles.
– how many things someone has done.

We often use the present perfect progressive to talk - I’ve been reading books on elephants for two
about how long something has been happening. months.

Be careful! We usually do not use the present perfect - I’ve read that book twice.
progressive when we mention a number of completed - I’ve been reading that book twice.
events.

3. Sometimes you can use either the present perfect or - She’s studied elephants for two years.
the present perfect progressive. The meaning is OR
basically the same. This is especially true when you - She’s been studying elephants for two years.
use verbs such as live, work, study, and teach with for
or since. (In both cases, she started studying elephants two
years ago and she is still studying them.)

7. Past Perfect (Simple) (Pluperfect/Preterite Perfect)

Forms:

1. Positive: Subject + Had + Past Participle (Ven)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Had + Not + Past Participle (Ven)… .
3. Question: (Wh-Words) Had + Subject + Past Participle (Ven)…?

- I/You/We/They had (’d) worked.

- He/She/It had (’d) worked.
- I/You/We/They had not (hadn’t) worked.
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 - He/She/It had not (hadn’t) worked.
- (Where) Had I/you/we/they worked?
- (Where) Had he/she/it worked?
Grammar Explanations
1. Use the past perfect to show that something
happened before a specific time in the past.
2. The past perfect always shows a relationship with
another past event.
Use the past perfect for the earlier event. Use the
simple past tense for the later event.
Be careful! In these sentences with when, notice the
difference in meaning between the simple past tense
and the past perfect.
3. Already, yet, ever, and never are often used with
the past perfect to emphasize the event which
occurred first.
4. When the time relationships between two past
events is clear, you can use the past simple tense for
both events. The meaning usually clear when you
use after, before, or as soon as to connect the events.
5. We often use the past perfect with by (a certain
time).
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Examples
- By 1988 Oprah Winfrey had become famous.
- It was 1985. She had already been in a Hollywood
film.
- She had left the office by six o’clock.
- Kristine had never been to an opera before last
night.
- She had completed the preparation before noon.
- He had done all his homework before he went to
the cinema.
I went into the room after they had finished their
conversation.
- As soon as I had closed the door, I remembered
that my keys were in the car.
- When we arrived, the boat had left.
- By the time Jill got home, “The Oprah Winfrey
Show” had finished.
- When the show ended, she left.
(First the show ended. Then she left.)
- When the show ended, she had left.
(First she left. Then the show ended.)
- I saw The Color Purple last night. I had never seen
it before.
- Jason had already seen it.
- After Oprah had appeared in The Color Purple,
she got a part in another movie.
- After Oprah appeared in The Color Purple, she got
a part in another movie.
- By 1966 Oprah had decided on a career.
- By 1971 she had got her first TV job.
8. Past Perfect Progressive/Past Perfect Continuous

Forms:

1. Positive: Subject + Had + Been + Present Participle (Ving)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Had + Not + Been + Present Participle (Ving)… .
3. Question: (Wh-Words) Had + Subject + Been + Present Participle (Ving)…?

- I/You/We/They had (’d) been working.

- He/She/It had (’d) been working.
- I/You/We/They had not (hadn’t) been working.
- He/She/It had not (hadn’t) been working.
- (Where) Had I/you/we/they been working?
- (Where) Had he/she/it been working?

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. Use the past perfect progressive to talk about an
action that was in progress before a specific time in the
past. The progressive emphasizes the continuation of
an action, not the end result.
- It was 2:00 P.M. The runners had been running
since 10:48 A.M.
- I finally saw Rob at 4:00 P.M. I had been waiting
for hours.
- One runner fainted. She hadn’t been drinking
enough water.

Remember! Non-action verbs are not usually used in - It was 5:0 P.M. He had had a headache all day.
the past perfect progressive. - It was 5:0 P.M. He had been having a headache all
day.

2. The past perfect progressive always shows a - She had been practicing for three years when she
relationship with another past event. entered the race.
(First she practiced. Then she entered the race.)
Use the past perfect progressive for the earlier event. - The police had been looking for the criminal for two
Use the past simple tense for the later event. years before they caught him.
(First the police looked for the criminal. Then they
caught him.)

3. We often use the past perfect progressive to draw - She was out of breath. It was clear that she had been
conclusions about past events based on evidence. running.
- The streets were wet. It had been raining.

4. Be careful! In these sentences with when, notice the - When the race started, it was raining and the streets
difference in meaning between the past progressive were wet.
and the past perfect progressive. (It was still raining during the race.)
- When the race started, it had been raining and the
streets were wet.
(It wasn’t raining during the race. It had already
stopped.)
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9. Simple Future/Future Simple: will and be going to

Forms of will:

1. Positive: Subject + Will + Infinitive (Vi)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Will + Not + Infinitive (Vi)… .
3. Question: (Wh-Words) Will + Subject + Infinitive (Vi)…?

- I/You/We/They will (’ll) leave soon.

- He/She/It will (’ll) leave soon.
- I/You/We/They will not (won’t) leave soon.
- He/She/It will not (won’t) leave soon.
- (When) Will I/you/we/they leave?
- (When) Will he/she/it leave?

Forms of be going to:

1. Positive: Subject + Am/Is/Are + Going to + Infinitive (Vi)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Am/Is/Are + Not + Going to + Infinitive (Vi)… .
3. Question: (Wh-Words) Am/Is/Are + Subject + Going to + Infinitive (Vi)…?

- I am (’m) going to leave soon.

- You/We/They are (’re) going to leave soon.
- He/She/It is (’s) going to leave soon.
- I am not (’m not) going to leave soon.
- You/We/They are not (aren’t) going to leave soon.
- He/She/It is not (isn’t) going to leave soon.
- (When) Am I going to leave?
- (When) Are you/we/they going to leave?
- (When) Is he/she/it going to leave?

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. You can use be going to or will to talk about future - Professor Vroom is going to attend a conference
plans or predictions. next week.
OR
- Professor Vroom will attend a conference next
week.
- I think it’s going to be very interesting
OR
- I think it’ll be very interesting.

2. Use be going to when there is something in the - Look at those dark clouds! It’s going to rain.
present that leads to the prediction. - Look at those dark clouds! It’ll rain.

Use will when you decide something at the moment of A: Professor Vroom is speaking at noon.
speaking. B: Oh. I think I’ll go to his talk.

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Future: Contrast

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. Use be going to, will, the present progressive, and - I’m going to fly to mars next week.
the present simple to talk about things in the future. - I’ll fly to Mars next week.
- I’m flying to Mars next week.
- I fly to Mars next week.

2. Usage Notes: Sometimes only one form of the

future is appropriate, but in many cases more than one
form is possible.

a. Use be going to or will to make predictions or - In a few years people are going to fly to Mars.
guesses. - In a few years people will fly to Mars.

b. Use be going to (not will) when something in - Look at that spaceship! It’s going to land! It will
the present leads to a prediction. land.

c. Use be going to, will, or the present - Dr. Green is going to speak tomorrow.
progressive to talk about future intentions or - Dr. Green will speak tomorrow.
plans. - Dr. Green is speaking tomorrow.

d. We often use will when we decide something A: Dr. Green is giving a talk tomorrow.
at the moment of speaking. We also use will to B: Oh! Maybe I’ll go.
make offers. A: Great! I’ll get you a ticket.

e. We often use the present progressive when we
talk about future plans that have already been
arranged. There is usually some reference to
the future that shows that the event is not
happening now.
- I’m flying to Mars next week. I’ve already gotten a
ticket.
- Ann is leaving tomorrow morning.
- I’m seeing Jack at two, and after that I’m meeting
my bank manager.

f. Use the present simple tense to talk about - The shuttle to Mars leaves at 10:0 A.M. tomorrow.
scheduled future events such as timetables, - We land at midnight.
programs, and schedules. - The bus arrives at 12.

Time signposts
The time signposts that we usually use with the simple future, present futurate and present progressive
futurate are:

• today, tonight, tomorrow

• one day, sometimes in the future, when he grows up
• next Thursday / weekend / week/ month / year
• this week / weekend / 2030 on Monday

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Future Time Clauses

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. When a sentence about future time has two clauses, - He’ll look for a job when he graduates.
the verb in the main clause is often in the future (will - We’ll discuss it again after you get back.
or be going to). The verb in the time clause is often in
the present tense.

Be careful! Do not use will or be going to in a future - I’m going to work after I graduate/will graduate.
time clause. - As soon as I finish/will finish the report, I’ll email it
to you.

The time clause can come at the beginning or the end - Before she applies, she’ll visit schools.
of the sentence. The meaning is the same. Use a OR
comma after the time clause when it comes at the - She’ll visit schools before she applies.
beginning. Do not use a comma when it comes at the - She’ll visit schools, before she applies.
end.

2. Here are some common time expressions you can

use to begin future time clauses.

a. When, after, and as soon as often introduce - When I graduate, I’ll look for a job.
the event that happens first. - After I graduate, I’ll look for a job.
- As soon as I graduate, I’ll look for a job.
(First I’m going to graduate. Then I’ll look for a job.)

b. Before, until, and by the time often introduce - Before I get a job, I’ll finish school.
the event that happens second. - Until I get a job, I’ll stay in school.
- By the time I get a job, I’ll be out of school.
(First I’ll finish school. Then I’ll get a job.)

c. While introduces an event that will happen at - While I look for a job, I’ll continue to study.
the same time as another event. (I will look for a job and study during the same time
period.)

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10. Future Progressive/Future Continuous

Forms of will:

1. Positive: Subject + Will/Shall + Be + Present Participle (Ving)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Will/Shall + Not (Won’t/Shan’t) + Be + Present Participle (Ving)… .
3. Question: (Wh-Words) Will/Shall + Subject + Be + Present Participle (Ving)…?

- I/You/We/They will (’ll) be working tomorrow.

- He/She/It will (’ll) be working tomorrow.
- I/You/We/They will not (won’t) be working tomorrow.
- He/She/It will not (won’t) be working tomorrow.
- (When) Will I/you/we/they be working?
- (When) Will he/she/it be working?

Forms of be going to:

1. Positive: Subject + Am/Is/Are + Going to + Be + Present Participle (Ving)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Am/Is/Are + Not + Going to + Be + Present Participle (Ving)… .
3. Question: (Wh-Words) Am/Is/Are + Subject + Going to + Be + Present Participle (Ving)…?

- I am (’m) going to be working tomorrow.

- You/We/They are (’re) going to be working tomorrow.
- He/She/It is (’s) going to be working tomorrow.
- I am not (’m not) going to be working tomorrow.
- You/We/They are not (aren’t) going to be working tomorrow.
- He/She/It is not (isn’t) going to be working tomorrow.
- (Where) Am I going to be working?
- (Where) Are you/we/they going to be working?
- (Where) Is he/she/it going to be working?

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. Use the future progressive with be going to or will - Robo is going to be walking the dog at noon.
to talk about things that will be in progress at a specific OR
time in the future. - Robo will be walking the dog at noon.

Remember! Non-action verbs are not usually used in - You’re going to have a headache tomorrow
the future progressive. morning.
- You’re going to be having a headache tomorrow
morning.

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 2. Usage Note: We often use the future progressive to A: Will you be going by the post office tomorrow?
hint that we would like someone to do us a favor. B: Yes. Do you need stamps?
A: Yes. Could you get me some?

3. Remember that if the sentence has a time clause, - I’ll cooking while the robot is cleaning.
use the simple present tense or present progressive in - I’ll cooking while the robot will be cleaning.
the time clause, not the future or future progressive.

Time signposts
The time signposts that we usually use with the future progressive are:

• at (11 o’clock) / on (Monday morning)

• this time next Monday/week/month/year
• in (two days) / in (six years’) time

11. Future Perfect (Simple)

Forms:

1. Positive: Subject + Will + Have + Past Participle (Ven)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Will + Not (Won’t) + Have + Past Participle (Ven)… .
3. Question: Will + Subject + Have + Past Participle (Ven)…?

- I/You/We/They will (’ll) have saved enough money by then.

- He/She/It will (’ll) have saved enough money by then.
- I/You/We/They will not (won’t) have saved enough money by then.
- He/She/It will not (won’t) have saved enough money by then.
- Will I/you/we/they have saved enough by then?
- Will he/she/it have saved enough by then?

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. When we use the future perfect, we imagine a - By June, he will have paid his debt.
certain point of time in the future, and we look back at - We won’t have saved enough by then.
events that will be completed by that time.

Use by + time expression to identify the point in time - By June, she’ll have bought a used car.
in the future. - She’ll have looked at a lot of cars by then.

Use already and yet to emphasize whether an event - By May, he’ll have already saved $1,000.
will have happened by a point in time. - By May, he won’t have saved $2,000 yet.

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Time signposts
The time markers that we usually use with the future perfect are: before, when, after, since, by then, by next
year, by tomorrow, by the time + present simple.

12. Future Perfect Progressive/Future Perfect Continuous

Forms:

1. Positive: Subject + Will + Have + Been + Present Participle (Ving)… .

2. Negative: Subject + Will + Not (Won’t) + Have + Been + Present Participle (Ving)… .
3. Question: Will + Subject + Have + Been + Present Participle (Ving)…?

- I/You/We/They will (’ll) have been saving for three years.

- He/She/It will (’ll) have been saving for three years.
- I/You/We/They will not (won’t) have been saving for three years.
- He/She/It will not (won’t) have been saving for three years.
- Will I/you/we/they have been saving for long?
- Will he/she/it have been saving for long?

Grammar Explanations Examples

1. When we use the future perfect progressive, we
imagine a certain point in the future, and we look
back on things already in progress.
- We moved here in 1998. By next December we will
have been living here for several years.
- We’re moving to Paris next year. By 2005 we will
have been living there for several years, and it
should feel like home.

The future perfect progressive focuses on how long - You’ll have been speaking French for ten years by
and often includes the length of time. then.

Remember! Non-action verbs are not usually used in - By May, he’ll have owned his car for a year.
the progressive. - By May, he’ll have been owning his car for a year.

2. Use the future perfect or the future perfect - By the time you arrive, I’ll have finished dinner.
progressive with the simple present tense to show - By the time you will arrive, I’ll have finished
the order of events: dinner.

First Event: future perfect (progressive) - By the time you arrive, I’ll have been reading for
Second Event: simple present tense an hour.

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