THE TENSE SYSTEM

present past future

simple Present Simple
do, does
continuous Present Continuous
am, is, are + -ing
perfect Present Perfect
have, has + past participle
Present Perfect Simple:
have, has + past participle
Present Perfect Continuous: Past Perfect Continuous:
have, has + been + -ing
Past Simple Future Simple
did will
Past Continuous Future Continuous
was, were + -ing will be + -ing
Past Perfect Future Perfect
had + past participle will have + past participle
Past Perfect Simple: Future Perfect Simple:
had + past participle will have + past participle
Future Perfect Continuous:
had been + -ing will have been + -ing

Present Simple Past Simple Future Simple

I work I worked I will work

Do I work? Did I work? Will I work?
I don´t work I didn´t work I won´t work
Yes, I do. / No, I don´t. Yes, I did. / No, I didn´t. Yes, I will. / No, I won´t.

He works He went
Does he work? Did he go?
he doesn´t work he didn´t go
Yes, he does. / No, he doesn´t. Yes, he did. / No, he didn´t.

Use: Use: Use:

- repeated action: I go to school by - a (one-time or repeated) action - a spontaneously decided future
bus. completed in the past: I went to action: Wait, I will help you with it.
- a fact, something true in general: school by bus (this morning). Our - a future fact: Tomorrow will be a
I have brown hair. granparents often walked to school. Friday.
- a state right now: I don´t - a past fact: I had brown hair when - prediction: He won´t like it.
understand you. I was born.
- a future action when following - a past state: Sorry, I didn´t
the conjunctions when, after, understand you.
before, while, if...: When I get
home, I will have a shower.
- a fixed future action – bound to
calendar, clock, TV programme
etc. (rarely used for people): The
train leaves at 16:42. What time
does the show start?
Present Continuous Past Continuous Future Continuous

I am working I was working I will be working

am I working? was I working? will I be working?
I´m not working I wasn´t working I won´t be working
Yes, I am. / No, I´m not. Yes, I was. / No, I wasn´t. Yes, I will. / No, I won t.

you are working you were working

are you working? were you working?
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 you aren´t working you weren´t working
Yes, you are. / No, you aren´t. Yes, you were. / No, you weren´t.

he is working
is he working?
he isn´t working
Yes, he is. / No, he isn´t.

Use: Use: Use:

- an activity happening right now:
I´m sitting.
- a temporary activity, possibly not
happening right now: He´s
learning to drive.
- a planned and arranged future
activity: I´m having lunch with
Sue tomorrow.
- with always (...) = criticizing:
You are always oversleeping.
Present Perfect
- a past activity happening at that
time: I was sitting (when you arrived).
- a temporary activity, possibly not
happening at that time: He was
learning to drive.
- an activity that started before a
certain point in the past, not
completed: I was reading a book at
6 p.m. I was reading a book on the
plane.
Past Perfect
- a future activity happening at that
time that started before a certain
point in the past, not completed: At
9 a.m. I will be studying.
- expected / normal future activity:
At the meeting, we will be
discussing our quarterly results.
Future Perfect

I have worked I had worked I will have worked

have I worked? had I worked? will I have worked?
I haven´t worked I hadn´t worked I won´t have worked
Yes, I have./No, I haven´t. Yes, I had./No, I hadn´t. Yes, I will./No, I won´t.

He has seen He had seen He will have seen

has he seen? had he seen? will he have seen?
He hasn´t seen He hadn´t seen He won´t have seen
Yes, he has./No, he hasn´t. Yes, he had./No, he hadn´t. Yes, he will./No, he won´t.

Use: = „so far“ Use: Use:

- an unfinished action: I have lived
here since 2015. She´s worked
there for 2 years.
- an action finished recently which
affects the presence: I have just
washed my hair. Have you done
your HW yet? They haven´t sent
the email yet. We´ve already met.
- a finished action, not saying the
time or details, „some time in
life“ of a person still alive: Have
you ever been to Spain? He's
never seen that film.
- it must be an action that happened - it must be an action that happened
before another action in the past: before another action in the future:
He wasn´t hungry because he´d just By the time the lesson starts I will
had lunch. have done my homework.
- an action not finished by a certain - an action not finished by a certain
point in the past: She´d worked point in the future: In December I
there for 2 years (so she knew all will have worked here for 2 years.
the staff well).
- an action finished before another
past action which affects the past: I
had just washed my hair. Had you
done your HW yet? They hadn´t sent
the email yet. We´d already met.

action = activity or state

activity = things we do or things that happen: run, jump, kick, eat, break, cry, smile, think...
state = the way things 'are' - thoughts and opinions: agree, believe, doubt, guess, imagine, know, mean,
recognise, remember, suspect, think, understand. feelings and emotions: dislike, hate, like, love, prefer,
want, wish, senses and perceptions: appear, be, feel, hear, look, see, seem, smell, taste.
Careful! Some verbs are both activity and state verbs BUT express different things, e.g.:
I think this sweater is nice. (opinion)
I´m thinking of buying it. (mental activity)
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