Otherwise known as the

Timeless Present
Simple Present Tense is used:
When you are referring to habitual actions--actions that
you always or never do
When you are referring to unchangingtruths
When you are making general statements of fact
When you talk about scheduled events in the near future
Examples
(habit) He always comes late to class.
(unchanging truth) The sun rises in theeast.
(general statement of fact) They arefriendly.
(talks about scheduled events in the near future.) The
train leaves tonight at 6PM.

simple present tense

Indicators
Always Whenever Everyday

Usually Often Frequently

Sometimes Rarely Occasionally

never

simple present tense

Form
I study I wait
You study You wait
S/he/it studies s/he/it waits
We study we wait
They study they wait

simple present tense

Examples
I play tennis.
She does not play tennis.
Does he play tennis?
The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.
The train does not leave at 9 AM.
When does the train usually leave?
 Note:

ADVERB PLACEMENT
The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs
such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
You only speak English.
Do you only speak English?

ACTIVE / PASSIVE
Examples:
Once a week, Tom cleans the car. ACTIVE
Once a week, the car is cleaned by Tom. PASSIVE
The Simple Past Tense is Used:
When an activity or situation began and ended at a
particular time in the past--in other words, when an
activity or situation is completed in the past
To refer to past habits
can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations
which are no longer true.
Examples
(Completed action in the past) He was late to class
yesterday.
(Completed action in the past) We arrived three weeks
ago.
(Past habit) She always wrote a letter to her mother on
Sunday night.
(past facts or generalizations which are no longertrue.)
She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.

Simple Past Tense

Indicators
Last night, week, year, month, Saturday,
semester, etc.
Yesterday

ago

Simple Past Tense

Form
I studied I waited
You studied You waited
S/he/it studied S/he/it waited
We studied We waited
They studied They waited

Simple Past Tense

Examples
Sandy studied Japanese for five years.
Al studied French when I was a child.
Mark played the violin.
He didn't play the piano.
Did you play a musical instrument when you
were a kid?
He didn't like tomatoes before.
Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?
People paid much more to make cell phone
calls in the past.
The Future Tense is Used:
To indicate that an activity or event will take place at

a time in the future

Examples
When I’m retired, I’m going totravel.
Next week, we will work onpunctuation.
He is going to get his car fixed tomorrow.
Our plane departs at noon nextFriday.

Future
Indicators
Tomorrow

Next Saturday, week, month, year, etc.

Future
Form 1
I will stay I'll stay
You will stay You'll stay
S/he/it will stay S/he/it'll stay
We will stay We'll stay
They will stay They'll stay

Future
Form 2
I am going to stay I'm going to stay
You are going to stay You're going to stay
S/he/it is going to stay S/he/it's going to stay

We are going to stay We're going to stay

They are going to They're going to stay
stay

Future
Form 3
Sometimes the simple present tense or the
present progressive tense are used to express a
future meaning. Usually these tenses are used
when scheduled events are being discussed.
I arrive I am arriving
You arrive You are arriving
S/he/it arrives S/he/it is arriving
We arrive We are arriving
They arrive They are arriving
Future Tense
 The Present Perfect is Used:
When an activity happened at an unspecified time in the past
(before the present)
When an activity has been repeated several times beforenow
When an activity was very recently completed before now
When an activity is not completed in thepast
to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity.
We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time
before now. The exact time is not important.
You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with specific time expressions such as:
yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan,
at that moment, that day, one day, etc.
We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never,
once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.
Examples
(unspecified time before now)
They have already seen that movie.
(repeated activity before now)
We have visited New York City many times.
(an action has recently been completed before now)
I have just eaten.
(action notcompleted in the past)
I have studied Spanish for manyyears.

Present Perfect Tense

Indicators
Before Ever Never

So far Already Yet

Just Recently For

since

Present Perfect Tense

Form 1
have or has + pastparticiple

I have studied . . . I have seen . . .

You have studied . . . You have seen . . .
S/he/it has studied . . S/he/it has seen . . .
We have studied . . . We have seen . . .

They have studied . . . They have seen . ..

Present Perfect Tense

Form 2
I've walked . . . I've grown . . .
You've walked . . . You've grown . . .
S/he/it's walked . . . S/he/it's grown . . .
We've walked . . . We've grown . . .

They've walked . . . They've grown . . .

Present Perfect Tense

Examples
I have seen that movie twenty times.
I think I have met him once before.
There have been many earthquakes in California.
You have grown since the last time I saw you.
The government has become more interested in
arts education.
Man has walked on the Moon.
Scientists have split the atom.
Past Perfect
This tense is not useda lot. It can often be used
interchangeably with the simple past because these
tenses do not differ muchin meaning. The past perfect
tense refers to activities thathappened before a specific
time in the past.
Example, He had visited her many times before she died.
Form: had + past participle
Examples
(something occurred before another action in the past) I
did not have any money because I had lostmy wallet.
She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska.
She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993
before she moved in with them in 1996.
She only understood the movie because shehad
read the book.
ADVERBPLACEMENT

The examples below show the placement for grammar

adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.
Examples:
You had previously studied English before you moved to
New York.
Had you previously studied English before you moved to
New York?
Future Perfect
The future perfect expresses the idea that an activity wil
occur before some future time.
Example: She will have finished dinner before thegame
starts.
Form: will + have + past participle
examples
You will have perfected your English by the time you
come back from the U.S.
You are going to have perfected your English by the time
you come back from the U.S.
NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to"
to create the Future Perfect with little or no
difference in meaning.
Examples
By next November, I will have received mypromotion.
By the time he gets home, she is going to have
cleaned the entire house.
I am not going to have finished this test by 3 o'clock.
Will she have learned enough Chinese to communicate
before she moves to Beijing?
 Sometimes called the
Present Continuous Tense
The Present Progressive Tense is
Used:
When an activity is in progress now at the moment of
speaking
When an activity began before now and continues into
the future without stopping.
When an activity istemporary.
When an activity is developing andchanging.
Examples
I’m explaining something to the class right now.
He’s taking 16 credits this semester.
She is understanding English more and more because she
moved into the dorm.

Present Progressive Tense

Indicators
Right now, at this Still
moment

This year, week, As we speak

month, etc.

Present Progressive Tense

Form
I am studying I'm studying
You are studying You're studying
S/he/it is studying S/he/it's studying
We are studying We're studying
They are studying They're studying

Present Progressive Tense

Other tenses
Past Progressive
This tense is used to refer to activities continuously in
progress around a time in the past.
Example: They were eating when thetaxi arrived.
Form: was or were +verbing
Past Perfect Progressive
This tense is used when an activity was continuously in
progress before a specific time in the past.
Example: I had been thinking about her before she called.
Form: had + been +verbing
Present Perfect Progressive
This tense is used to describe actions that have been
continuously in progress before now. These actions are
not completed.
Example: I have been waiting here for the last two hours.
Form: have or has + been +verbing
Future Progressive Tense
This tense is used to refer to activities that will be
continuously in progress around some future time.
Example: We will be flying over New York at noon
tomorrow.
Form: will + be + verbing
Future Perfect Progressive
This tense is used to refer to activities that will be
continuously in progress before a future time.
Example: He will have been working for 3 hours before
you arrive.
Form: will + have + been +verbing
PRESENT PERFECT (have or has + past
participle of verb)
I have studied English.
He has studied English.
PAST PERFECT (had + past participle of
verb)
I had studied English.
He had studied English.
FUTURE PERFECT (will or shall + have
+ past participle of verb)
I will have studied English.
He will have studied English.
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE (form of "be"
verb + "ing" form of main verb)
I am studying English.
He is studying English.
PAST PROGRESSIVE (past tense of
form "be" verb + "ing" form of main verb)
I was studying English.
He was studying English.
FUTURE PROGRESSIVE (will or
shall +be + "ing" form of main verb)
I will be studying English.
He will be studying English.
PRESENT PERFECT
PROGRESSIVE (have or has +
been + "ing" form of main verb)
I have been studying English.
He has been studying English.
PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
(had + been + "ing" form of main
verb)
I had been studying English.
He had been studying English.
FUTURE PERFECT
PROGRESSIVE (will or shall +
have + been + "ing" form of main
verb)
I will have been studying English.
He will have been studying
English.