English Tenses

English Tenses

-Past Tenses

Simple Past

(+) Subject + Verb (past form)

(-) Subject + Didnt + Verb (infinitive)

(?) Did+subject+Verb (infinitive)

Use : Past actions that are now finished

Example: I lived in London for 3 years

Past progressive

Subject + WAS/WERE (Not) + Verb (continuous form)

(?) WAS/WERE+Subject+ Verb (continuous form)

USE 1: An action that was in progress in the past

Ex: Mary was sleeping yesterday at 3 PM

USE 2: Interrupted actions in progress

Ex: i was watching a show when my mom came in

Past Perfect

Subject + HAD (Not) + Verb (past participle form)

Had(not)+Subject+ Verb (past participle form)

Use : A completed action before another action in the past

Ex: I had been sleeping for 10 hours before you broke into the room

Past Perfect Progressive

Subject + HAD (NOT) + BEEN + Verb (continuous form)

(?) HAD+ Subject +BEEN+ Verb (continuous form)

Use 1: Duration of a Past Action

Ex: I had been playing guitar for 2 hours before you arrived

Use 2: Showing cause of an action close to another

Ex: Mary is not tired, cuz she hadn’t been waiting that much

Present Tenses

SIMPLE PRESENT

(+) Subject + Verb (infinitive)

(-) Subject + Dont/doesn’t+ Verb (present form)

(?)Do/does + subject + verb (infinitive)

Use 1: Facts, Generalizations and Universal Truths

Ex: Dogs can bite

Use 2: Habits and Routines

Ex: I dont watch TV at all

Special Use 1: Events Certain to Happen

Ex: My mom turns 47 on january

Special Use 2: Time clause

Ex: If Mike doesnt come, we wont go to the cinema

Present Continuous

Subject + IS/ARE (NOT) + Verb (continuous form)

Use 1: An action taking place in the momento of speaking

Ex: Bob is not studying right now

Use 2: activities continuing only for a limited period of time

Ex: She’s working at a gas station

Special Use 1: Future meaning for a definite action

Ex: Are you leaving tomorrow night?

Present Perfect

Subject + HAS/HAVE (NOT) + Verb (past participle form)

(?) HAS/HAVE + Subject+ Verb (past participle form)

Use 1: Indefinite time before now (doesnt matter the time)

Ex: i have already seen that movie

Use 2: An action that was repeated before now

Ex: i have played basketball twice this week

Use 3: when we want to emphasize that an event continues in the present

Ex: I haven’t seen a movie for over 10 years

Present perfect continuous

Subject + HAS/HAVE (NOT) + BEEN + Verb (continuous form)

(?) HAS/HAVE+ Subject+ BEEN+ Verb (continuous form)

Use 1: to show that something started in the past and continues in the present.

Ex: Have you been painting the house for 3 hours?

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