Theory of the use of English Tenses (Active voice) (compiled by
Maria Sosnina.)
Present Simple Present Continuous
1) regular actions 1) process now, at the
(I often dance) moment:
2) state of being (I am writing now)
(I live, I work here) 2)future plans:
3) future actions, (I am going to the cinema
(timetable, schedule) tonight)
(The bus comes at 5.30 3)emotional exclamation,
and leaves at 6 p. m) exaggeration
(She is always showing her
pictures to everybody!)
Past Simple Past Continuous
1) action in the past 1) an action, which was
(I went there yesterday) going on in the past at a
2) sequence of actions definite moment of time
in the past: (When I came home, my
(He came, nodded and mother was cooking
opened his bag) dinner)
3) regular actions in the (I was watching TV at 8 p.
past(He swam every m yesterday)
day when he was 18)
Future Simple Future Continuous
1) promise (I will go 1) an action, which will be
there next week) going on at a definite
2) prediction (It will moment of time in the
rain tomorrow) future: (I will be watching
3) spontaneous TV at 8 p. m tonight)
decision (I’ll take jam)
Future Simple in the Future Continuous in
Past the Past
The meaning of Future The meaning of Future
Simple, but is used in Continuous, but is used in
sequence of tenses, sequence of tenses, when
when the first verb in the first verb in the
the sentence is used in sentence is used in any of
any of the past tenses. the past tenses.
Present Perfect
1) an action which happened
recently(I have just seen him
2) situation connected with
the present (should be reason
and consequence):
( I am tired. I have worked a
lot today)
3) used with a period of time
when an action began and is
still going on: (-I have
worked for this company for
five years)
Past Perfect
1) needs 2 actions in the past,
where one of them happened
before the other:
( When we came to the
cinema, the movie had
already started)
2) used in indirect speech:
(He said he had seen her)
Future Perfect
1) an action, which will
happen, will finish before
some definite moment in the in the past, is going on
future: (I will have come
home by 5 p. m)
Future Perfect in the Past
The meaning of Future
Perfect, but is used in
sequence of tenses, when the Perfect Continuous, but
first verb in the sentence is is used in sequence of
used in any of the past
tenses.
Present Perfect
Continuous
1) a continuous action
which began in the past
and is still going on now:
( I have been reading this
book for 3 hours already)
Past Perfect
Continuous
1) a continuous action
which was happening in
the past for a definite
period of time, but is no
longer happening:
(I had been doing
aerobics for 2 months last
year)
Future Perfect
Continuous
1) an action which started
now and will be going on
by a definite time in the
future: (I will be studying
here for 3 years by June)
Future Perfect
Continuous in the Past
The meaning of Future
tenses, when the first
verb in the sentence is
used in any of the past
tenses.