TENSES

1. SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

Function : Referring to Habits, Facts
Time marker : everyday, every week, daily, weekly, monthly, annually, every Sunday (on
Sundays), etc.

Subject (I/You/We/They) + Verb 1 + Object

eg : We study English every day (+)
We do not (don’t) study English every day (-)
Do we study English every day (?)

Subject (He/She/It) + Verb 1 (s) + Object

eg : He studies English every day (+)
He does not (doesn’t) study English every day (-)
Does he study English every day (?)

Subject + Be (am, is, are) + Object

I am
He/She/It is
You/We/They are

eg : They are my friends (+)

They are not (aren’t) my friends (-)
Are they your friends (?)

2. PRESENT CONTINOUS TENSE

Function : On going actions
Time marker ; now, right now, at the moment, at present, etc.

Subject (I/You/We/They/He/She/It) + Be (am, is, are) +

Verb 1 (ing) + Object
eg: We are studying English at the moment (+)
We aren’t studying English at the moment (-)
Are we studying English at the moment (?)
 She is cooking (+)
She is not (isn’t) cooking (-)
Is she cooking (?)

3. PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

Function : Past Actions → Present Results
Time marker : since, for, already, yet, never, ever, just, recently, so far, etc.

Subject + has/have + Verb 3 + Object

I/You/We/They have
He/She/It has

eg : He has lived in Jakarta since 2002 (+)

He has not (hasn’t) lived in Jakarta since 2002 (-)
Has he lived in Jakarta since 2002 (?)

4. FUTURE TENSE
Function : Plans, Predictions
Time marker : tonight, tomorrow, next month, next year, 3 days later, etc.

 Using “WILL”

Subject + will + Verb 1 + Object

eg : She will call you asap (+)
She will not / won’t call you (-)
Will she call you (?)
  Using “GOING TO”

Subject + be (am/is/are) + going to + Verb 1 +

Object
eg : We are going to visit our grandparents’ house next week (+)
We aren’t going to visit our grandparents’ house next week (-)
Are we going to visit our grandparents’ house next week (?)

NOTE : Use Will be or Going to be If There’s NO VERB !!

eg : She will be happy if you call her.
He is going to be the winner.

5. SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Functions : Past Activities.
Time marker : yesterday, last night, last year, 3 days ago, etc.

Subject + Verb 2 + Object

eg : He studied hard (+)
He did not (didn’t) study hard (-)
Did he study hard (?)

Subject + Be (was, were) + Object

I was
He/She/It was
You/We/They were

eg : She was absent yesterday (+)

She was not (wasn’t) absent yesterday (-)
Was she absent yesterday (?)
6. PAST CONTINOUS TENSE
Functions : 2 (two) Activities happened at the same time in the Past.

Subject + Be (was,were) + Verb 1 (ing) + Object

eg: She was cooking (+)
She wasn’t cooking (-)
Was she cooking (?)
She was cooking (Past Continous) when the door bell rang (Simple Past)
When the door bell rang, she was cooking.

NOTE : Most of the time Past Continous always attached with other activity (Simple Past).

7. PAST PERFECT TENSE

Functions : 1 Activity finished first than the other activity, both happened in the Past.

Subject + had + Verb 3 + Object

NOTE : Most of the time Past Perfect always attached with other activity (Simple Past).

eg :
She had traveled Europe (Past Perfect) when she decided to stay in German (Simple
Past).
When she decided to stay in German, she had traveled Europe.
8. PRESENT PERFECT CONTINOUS TENSE
Functions : Actions started in the Past and still going on at Present time.

Subject + have/has + been + V 1 (ing) + Object

I/You/We/They have
He/She/It has

eg : She has been studying since this morning (+)

She has not been studying (-)
Has she been studying (?)

9. PAST PERFECT CONTINOUS TENSE

Functions : On Going Actions in the Past.

Subject + had + been + V 1 (ing) + Object

eg : She had been living in poor (Past Perfect Continous) when she was younger (Simple
Past).