TENSES

1. SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

• To express habitual actions
• Sentence construction: subject, verb infinitive (V1)
• Used with adverb: always, never, often, usually
• with adverb phrases: on Mondays, every week, twice a year

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I work I do not work Do I work?
You work You do not work Do you work?
He/she/it works He/she/it does not work Does he/she/It work?
We work We do not work Do we work?
They work They do not work Do they work?
 2. SIMPLE CONTINOUS TENSE

• To express action that is happening (now)

• Sentence construction: subject, to be, verb ing form, adverb

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I am working I am not working Am I working?
You are working You are not working Are you working?
He/she/it is working He/she/it is not working Is he/she/It working?
We are working We are not working Are we working?
They are working They are not working Are they working?
 3. SIMPLE PAST TENSE
o express actions in the past or past habit
dd ed to the verb infinitive (V2) (work… to… worked)
erbs ending with e: add d (lie.. To…lied )
erbs ending with t, l, p: add final consonant and ed
( travel to travelled, stop to stopped)
• Verbs ending with y: change y to I then add ed (try to trie

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I worked I did not work Did I work?
You worked You did not work Did you work?
He/she/it worked He/she/it did not work Did he/she/It work?
We worked We did not work Did we work?
They worked They did not work Did they work?
 3. SIMPLE PAST TENSE

Irregular verbs

Present and invinitive Simple past Past participle

begin began begun
Become Became Become
Bring Brought Brought
Drink Drank Drunk
Fall Fell Fallen
Find Found Found
Eat Ate Eaten
Go Went Gone
know knew known
 4. PAST CONTINOUS TENSE

• To express past action that continued for some time

• Sentence construction: subject, to be (past), verb ing form

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I was working I was not working Was I working?
You were working You were not working Were you working?
He/she/it was working He/she/it was not working Was he/she/It working?
We were working We were not working Were we working?
They were working They were not working Were they working?
 5. PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
• To express PAST action, time is not definite
• Sentence construction: subject, have/has, verb (V3) form
She has read the instruction.
Have you seen my stamps?
Used with just for recent completed action:
I have just received my salary.
He has just gone out.

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I have worked I have not worked Have I worked?
You have worked You have not worked Have you worked?
He/she/it has worked He/she/it has not worked Has he/she/It worked?
We have worked We have not worked Have we worked?
They have worked They have not worked Have they worked?
 6. PRESENT PERFECT CONTINOUS TENSE
• To express action which begun in the past and is still continuing

• or has only just finished

• Sentence construction: subject, have/has, to be verb ing form

I have been hearing all about his story.
Have you been waiting long?
She has been snowing for a long time.
•
Affirmative Negative Interrogative
I have been studying I have not been working Have I been working?
You have been studying You have not been working Have you been working?
He/she has been studying He has not been working Has he/she been working?
We have been studying We have not been working Have we been working?
They have been studying They have not been Have they been working?
working
 7. PAST PERFECT TENSE

• To express action which began before the time of speaking

in the past.
• Sentence construction: subject, had, verb (V3) form
I had lost my case and had to borrow my sister T-shirt.
She had left his bag on the 4.30 pm Merpati flight.

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I had read I had not read Had I read?
You had read You had not read Had you read?
He/she/it had read He/she/it had not read Had he/she/It read?
We had read We had not read Had we read?
They had read They had not read Had they read?
 8. PAST PERFECT CONTINOUS TENSE

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I had been studying I had not been studying Had I been studying?
You had been studying You had not been studying Had you been studying?
He/she had been studying He has not been studying Had he/she been studying?
We had been studying We had not been studying Had we been studying?
They had been studying They had not been Had they been studying?
studying

• To express action which began before the time of speaking

in the past and continue up to that time.

• Sentence construction: subject, had been, verb ing form

He had been trying to get her on the phone.
She had been wanting new shoes for a long time.
 9. THE FUTURE

• To express action in the future.

• Sentence: subject, will/ to be going to, verb infinitive
I am going to buy a bicycle next month.
You are going to have final exam on December.
I will call you tomorrow morning.
They will be here next week.

Affirmative Negative Interrogative

I will go/I am going to go I will not go
He will go Will he go?
She is going to go She is not going to go
We will go
They are going to go Are they going to go?
 To be going to and will
To be going to form used for prediction:
• Look at those clouds!
It is going to rain.
• How angry that man is!
I think he is going to punch us.

Will is used for probable future:

• It will probably be hot!
I think it will be hot.
• Salmons will be very expensive this
month!
I am sure salmons will be expensive.
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICES
 ACTIVE AND PASSIVE VOICES

Active Passive
I kick the ball. The ball is kicked by me.

I wash my cloths every My cloths are washed by

Sunday. myself every Sunday.

He ate my breakfast this My breakfast was eaten by

morning. him this morning.

• Sentence construction:
 Active : subject, verb (1) form, object
 Passive: Object, to be, verb (3) form, subject