tenses
Present
Past
F
uture
Past Perfect Continuous
An action or event in the past are stretched to emphasize continuity or duration of the action.
The action or event completed in the past.
Signal words: for, since, when, before, after
Past Perfect
Event or action that happened before another action in the past.
Signal words: before, after, till, until, since, by (the time)
Past Continuous
Emphasis is made on the
duration
or
continuity
of the action or event in the past.
Can be on par with past simple. Unlike present perfect continuous the event or action
started and
ended
in the past.
Signal words: while, when, for
Past Simple
We are just stating a fact or providing info about the past.
The sentence carries purely descriptive role about an event or action in the past.
Signal words: yesterday, last night/week/July/year, minutes ago,
one year ago, finally, in 2011, at that time two days ago
Present Perfect Continuous
Event or action have started in the past,
but stretch themselves up until
present moment
The sentence implies that I’m still waiting in line.
Signal words: for, since, all day, whole day/week/year
Present Perfect
Event or action which happened in the past,
has a connection or consequence onto the present moment.
An action was
fully completed
in the past, but it affects the present
or is important at present moment.
Signal words: since, for, already, yet, before, ever, never, still not,
so far, just, up to now, recently, until now.
Present Continuous
Event or action are taking place
right now
,
at this given minute and second.
May also describe a near future event.
Signal words: at this moment, right now, just now,
now, this evening , tomorrow, Look! Listen!
Present Simple
Event or action take place on a regular basis. Repetative action.
We assume it happened in the past, happens during present day and
will probably occur in the future.
We also state general facts with this tense.
Signal words: always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, seldom
never, normally, now and then, every, occasionally, on Mondays,
every day/week/year, after school/work/event
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Tense = time.
Future Simple
Event or action will happen in the future.
will
- describing things that will most certainly happen
or assumptions, spontaneous decisions.
going to
- describing plans and aims in the future,
talking about things that will happen in the near future.
Signal words: next week, next month, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow
Future Continuous
Event or action will be in porgress in the future. Event continuity and duration
in the future are emphasized. In contrast to Future Simple, which would simply hold,
“I will clean my room on Saturday afternoon”, the sentence in Future Continuous
implies that cleaning my room would take up some of my Saturday afternoon time.
Signal words: this time next week, this time tomorrow,
at 5.p.m. tomorrow, tonight
Future Perfect
Event or action will finish by some time marked in the future.
Signal words: until, before/by the end of the day,
by the end of the week/month/year, before the month ends
Future Perfect Continuous
Future event or action in process will be completed in a predetermined point in the future
relatively to another event or action in the future.
Signal words: for, since, by the time
English tenses, your Majesty
All 12
of them
in the future, talking about expectations, hopes
Shot by Robin Hood himself, this arrow helps students,
teachers, and English learners to become
more proficient at English tenses.
I
had been
observ
ing
swans in the lake
for 2 hours
before I ate my dinner.
Formation: subject +
had been
+ verb +
ing
.
I
had
swum in the lake
before
I ate my dinner.
Formation: subject +
had
+ verb in 3rd form (irregular or -ed).
I
was
wait
ing
for my dinner
when
fire alarm suddenly rang.
Formation: subject +
was/were
+ verb +
ing.
I ate my dinner
yesterday.
Formation: subject + was/were or verb in 2nd for (irregular or -ed)
I
have been
wait
ing
in line
for 15 minutes
.
Formation: subject + has/have been + verb + ing
Mum, but I
have
already
cleaned the room two days ago.
Formation: subject + has/have + verb in 3rd form.
I
’m
eat
ing
dinner
at the moment
.
Formation: subject + am/is/are + verb + ing
I eat dinner
every day
at 7.p.m.
Formation: subject + verb
I
’m going to
do my homework
tomorrow
.
I
will
do my homework
tomorrow
.
Formation: subject + am/is/are + going to + verb
Formation: subject + will + verb
I
will be
clean
ing
my room on Saturday afternoon.
Formation: subject + will be + verb + ing.
I promise I
will have done
my homework by the next Saturday.
Formation: subject + will have + verb in 3rd form
I
will have been
clean
ing
my room
for
5 hours
by the time
you finish your homework.
Formation: subject + will have been + verb + ing
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