 We use the past simple to refer to a definite time in the past, not the present
Tenses and time
Tenses refer to different forms of a verb or verb phrase. We use different tenses to talk
or write about different times. For example, we usually use present tense verb forms to
talk about states, events or actions that happen or are happening in the present time.
We usually use past tense verb forms to talk about past time, to describe events, states
or actions that have finished. We can also use past tense forms to refer to present time,
for example, for reasons of politeness or indirectness (I was wondering if you wanted a
drink) and present tense forms to refer to past time, for example, for dramatic effect.
There is no future tense form of verbs in English. We refer to future time in several
different ways for different functions, for example, using the present tense or be going
to or will.
Past
There are a number of ways of talking about the past:
We talked for hours on the phone. (past simple)
She was running to catch the bus. (past continuous)
I’ve cleaned the kitchen. (present perfect simple)
I’ve been painting. (present perfect continuous)
I’d paid by credit card. (past perfect simple)
I’d been reading about the accident in the paper. (past perfect continuous)
The kids would play in the garden in the summer evenings and we would sit and talk for
hours. (modal verb would)
He used to play lots of sport when he was younger. He doesn’t seem to do any exercise
now. (semi-modal verb used to)
Past: typical errors
 We use the past simple, not the past continuous, to talk about past habits:
I walked to school every day when I was young.
Not: I was walking to school every day …
 We use the past simple, not the past continuous, to emphasise completed events
at a specific time in the past:
I called her office at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon.
Not: I was calling her office at 4 o’clock yesterday afternoon.
B2 – First Certificate – Verbs – 1. Tenses and time
perfect or the past perfect:
I woke up at seven o’clock this morning.
Not: I’ve woken up at seven o’clock this morning.
 We use the present perfect, not the past simple, to refer to time up to now:
I haven’t paid my electricity bill yet.
Not: I didn’t pay my electricity bill yet.
 We use the past simple, not the past continuous, to refer to repeated main events.
We only use the past continuous for repeated background events:
He cycled to Claire’s house last night. (main event)
Not: He was cycling to Claire’s house last night. (We see this as the background event
and expect to hear the main event following it.)
 We don’t use the past continuous in the same way as used to when we refer to
things in the past which are no longer true:
We used to have picnics in the park in the summer.
Not: We were having picnics in the park in the summer.
 We don’t use the past perfect in the main clause of a conditional sentence. It is
only used in the conditional clause:
[conditional clause]If we had known you were alone, [main clause]we would have visited you.
Not: If we had known you were alone, we had visited you.
Present
Present time refers to the time around the moment of writing or speaking (time around
now) and to general and permanent time. The two most common ways to refer to
present time are the present simple for general facts and regular events, and the present
continuous for an event happening now:
Water turns to ice at below 0°. (present simple for a general fact)
Does it rain a lot in Wales? (present simple asking about a general fact)
I usually take the bus to work. (present simple for a regular event)
Take an umbrella with you. It’s raining. (present continuous for something happening
now)
1 B2 – First Certificate – Verbs – 1. Tenses and time 2
Present: typical errors Future

 We always use the -s form for third person singular present simple: There is no future tense in English. We use several different ways to talk about the
Good health depends on having a good diet. future. The most common are:

Not: Good health depend on having a good diet. They’re going to build a new shopping centre here. (be going to)

The building has three rooms. Leena is working in Singapore next week. (present continuous)

Not: The building have three rooms. I think they will postpone the match. (modal verb will)

 We don’t use the present simple for actions that are going on at the present time. Nadia arrives in about half-an-hour from now. (present simple)
We use the present continuous: I’ll be running ten kilometres a day for the next two weeks to get ready for the
Look, she’s winning! marathon. (future continuous)

Not: Look, she wins! We’re late. Do you think the lecture will have started? (future perfect)

 We use the present simple, not will, for future reference after words We’re just about to leave for the cinema. (be about to)
like when, before, as soon as, if and whether: The president is to visit Brazil in November. (be to)
We’ll come and pick you up as soon as you call. The visitors are due to arrive at the factory early in the morning. (be due to)
Not: We’ll come and pick you up as soon as you’ll call. I was on the point of leaving my job but then I got promoted so I changed my mind. (be
 We don’t use the present continuous for facts and permanent situations. We use on the point of)
the present simple: She promised she would return soon. (future in the past)
Six plus four makes ten. (6 + 4 = 10) They said they were having a holiday next April. (future in the past)
Not: Six plus four is making ten.
 We don’t use the present continuous with some verbs, e.g. verbs expressing
feelings, describing senses, mental process verbs:
Future: typical errors
Horrible weather, isn’t it? But I hear it’s going to get better at the weekend.
We don’t use the present continuous when we predict something:
Not: I’m hearing it’s going to get better.
You’re going to fail the exam unless you attend more classes.
Some children hate playing any sport.
Not: You’re failing the exam, unless …
Not: Some children are hating …
When we make an immediate decision, we use ’ll not will or shall or the simple present
 We don’t use the present simple or the present continuous before since when we tense:
talk about a specific time up to now. We use the present perfect:
Wait a minute, I’ll lend you my car.
I’ve been here since 4 o’clock.
Not: … I shall lend you my car. or … I lend you my car.
Not: I’m here since 4 o’clock.

Future in the past

When we talk about the past, we sometimes want to refer to something which was in the
future at the time we were speaking. We use past verb forms to do this:

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The last time I met her, she was leaving for a new job in Italy the following day. (past This time next week, I’ll be taking photographs with my new camera.
form of She is leaving)
I’ll post your letter for you. I’ll be passing a post-box.
They rang to say they would be with us by ten o’clock but then their flight was
Next week they will be flying to Australia from Saudi Arabia.
cancelled. (past form of They will be with us)
She will not be working on Tuesday.
[a novelist writes about a house where he wrote his novel]
Unfortunately we won’t be attending the wedding.
I saw the house that I was to live in for the next six months. (past form of I am to live in
this house)
He said he was going to see the match but it was cancelled. (past form of He is going to
see the match)
Future perfect continuous (I will have been working
here ten years)
Future perfect continuous: form
Future continuous (I will be working)
We use will/shall + have + been + the -ing form of the verb.
Future continuous: form
We use shall only for future time reference with I and we. Shall is more formal and less
We use will/shall + be + the -ing form of the verb. common than will.

singular and plural singular and plural

will (full form)

+ I, she, he, it, you, we, they be working I, we
’ll will or shall
she, he, it, you, they
will
+ have been working
(full form)
I, she, he, it, we, you, they will not (short form)
− be working I, she, he, it, you, we, they
I, she, he, it, you, we, they (short form) ’ll
won’t
(full form)
I, we
? + Will will not or shall not
I, she, he, it, you, we, they be working? she, he, it, you, they
? − Won’t will not
− have been working
Less commonly, and in more formal situations, we can also use shall instead (short form)
of will with I and we. I, we
won’t or shan’t
she, he, it, you, they
won’t
Future continuous: use

We use the future continuous to refer to temporary actions and events that will be in
progress at a particular time in the future: ? + Will I, she, he, it, you, we, they have been working?

B2 – First Certificate – Verbs – 1. Tenses and time 5 B2 – First Certificate – Verbs – 1. Tenses and time 6
? − Won’t
(short form)
I, she, he, it, you, we, they
Note: Shall I, shall we and shan’t I, shan’t we in future perfect continuous questions are ’ll
rare.

Future perfect continuous: use (full form)

I, we
Emphasising the length of an event at a time in the future will not or shall not
she, he, it, you, they
We use the future perfect continuous form when we are looking back to the past from a will not
point in the future and we want to emphasise the length or duration of an activity or
− have worked
event:
In September the head teacher will have been teaching at the school for 20 years. (short form)
I, we
In September, she will have been living in France for a year. won’t or shan’t
she, he, it, you, they
I will have been studying English for three years by the end of this course. won’t
We’re late. I think they’ll have been waiting for us. We’d better go.

? + Will
I, she, he, it, you, we, they have worked?
? − Won’t

Note: Shall I, shall we and shan’t I, shan’t we in future perfect questions are rare.

Future perfect simple: use

Future perfect simple (I will have worked eight hours) Events finished by a certain time in the future

We use the future perfect form when we look back to the past from a point in the future.
Future perfect simple: form We usually use a time phrase, for example by tomorrow, for three years:
Do you think she’ll have seen the doctor by four o’clock?
We use will/shall + have + the -ed form of the verb.
Next month my parents will have been together for thirty years.
We use shall only for future time reference with I and we. Shall is more formal
than will. At the end of this month, they will have been in their house for one year.
Next month I will have worked for the company for six years.
singular and plural I think they’ll have got there by six o’clock.
Won’t she have retired by the end of the year? (more common than Will she not have
retired?)
(full form)
I, we
+ will or shall have worked
she, he, it, you, they
will

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