TENSES
TENSES
SITUATION
SITUATION
USAGE
USAGE
STRUCTURE
STRUCTURE
SENTENCES
SENTENCES
SIGNAL WORDS
SIGNAL WORDS
PRESENT SIMPLE
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•
Used to express habits
Used to express facts (Water boils at 100°C)
verb (+ -s)
(to) help → I help, he helps
(to) watch → you help, she watches
(to) go → we go, he goes
(to) try → they go, she tries
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
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•
Used for an action that is happening now
Used for a definite arrangement in the near future
(I‘m meeting Peter tonight)
[bepresent] + Ving
(am/is/are) + verb + -ing
help + -ing → I am helping (I‘m helping)
run + -ing → You are running (You‘re running)
go + -ing → She is going (She‘s going)
try + -ing → We are trying (We‘re trying)
Active:
I usually get up at 8am.
He often drinks tea.
Do you play the piano? – Yes, I do. / No, I don‘t.
Does he live here? – Yes, he does. / No, he doesn‘t.
Active:
I am writing a letter right now.
She is wearing a green dress.
What are you reading? – I‘m reading a book.
Is he still cooking dinner? – Yes, he is. / No, he isn‘t.
Passive:
London is visited by many tourists.
Passive:
The photo is being taken by the photographer right now.
always, sometimes, often, usually, rarely, never
at the moment, (right) now, Look!
PAST SIMPLE
•
Used for actions completed in the past with a
definite time
◦ used when the time is given
◦ used when the time is asked about
◦ used when the action clearly took place at a
definite time even though the time is not
mentioned
verb + -ed / irregular simple past form
(to) help → I helped
(to) watch → she watched
(to) go → we went
(to) teach → they taught
Active:
I saw him yesterday.
We didn‘t do our homework
What did you do last week?
Did you watch TV last night? – Yes, I did. / No, I didn‘t.
PAST PROGRESSIVE
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•
Used for past actions whose exact limits are not
known or not important
Used with a point in time, it expresses an action
which began before that time and probably
continued after it
◦ At eight he was having breakast → implies that
he was in the middle of breakfast at eight
[bepast] + Ving
(was/were) + verb + -ing
help + -ing → I was helping
watch + -ing → You were watching
go + -ing → She was going
try + -ing → We were trying
Active:
When I went outside, the birds were singing.
Yesterday, she was wearing trousers.
It wasn‘t raining when we left the cinema.
What were you doing yesterday at 2 o‘clock?
Passive:
The telephone was invented by Alexander Bell.
Passive:
During the game, the injured player was being carried
off the field.
yesterday, last month, three years ago, in 1992
while, when
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
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•
•
Used for (recent) actions in the past when the time
is not mentioned or not important
Used to talk about things that are unfinished
(I‘ve known him since I was 11)
(She‘s been to the cinema three times this week)
Used to show the present effect of a past action
(I‘ve lost my keys – Now I can‘t open the front door)
PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
•
Used for an action which began in the past and is
still continuing
[havepresent] + past participle
(have/has + past participle)
[havepresent] + been + Ving
(have/has + been + V + -ing
(to) help → I have helped (I‘ve helped)
(to) watch → she has watched (she‘s watched)
(to) go → we have gone (we‘ve gone)
(to) teach → they have taught (they‘ve taught)
help + -ing → I have been helping (I‘ve been helping)
watch + -ing → You have been watching (You‘ve been watching)
write + -ing → She has been writing (She‘s been writing)
try + -ing → We have been trying (We‘ve been trying)
Active:
I‘ve drunk four cups of coffee today.
He has never been to Scotland.
Have you ever tried haggis? – Yes, I have. / No, I haven‘t.
Are you hungry? – No, I‘ve just had lunch.
Where‘s your key? – I don‘t know. I‘ve lost it.
Passive:
She has been taken to hospital.
just, already, yet, recently, lately, for, since
I‘ve been writing six letters since breakfast.
She‘s been living in London for three months.
How long have you been learning English?
We‘re sorry we‘re late. Have you been waiting long?
– Yes, I have. / No, I haven‘t.
for hours now, the whole afternoon, all evening