CONTEÚDO EXCLUSIVO
ENGLISH
VERB
TENSES
Por Fabrício Raposo
WEEK
Author's Presentation
Hi there,
Having a good command of grammar will surely help you make yourself
understood by your interlocutors at all times both in speaking and writing. To
cut a long story short, I devised this piece of work in order to aid you in gaining
effective communication skills.
In this e-book, you will find the English language Verb Tenses explained in a
straightforward way in B1-B2 levels of CEFR (Common European Framework of
Reference) to guide you through your endeavour to progress further in your
journey towards fluency and accuracy in English.
It is not necessary to study all the 12 (active voice) tenses in the order that they
appear. Perhaps you can use it as a reference whenever you are not certain of
which tense to use in a given situation.
For the help in producing this special and summarized e-book, I would like to
thank my partner, Gabriel Silveira who always provides me with invaluable
feedback on my online classes.
I really hope you enjoy it!
Fabricio Raposo
VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
Table of Contents
Present Simple …………………………………………………………………………………………………………4
Present Continuous ..……………………………………………………………………………………………….7
Was/Were (Past of Verb To Be) .....................................................................................9
Past Simple ..………………………………………………………………………………….………………………….11
Past Continuous …………………………………………………………………………..…………………………..14
Past Perfect Simple ………………….………………………………………………..…………………………...16
Past Perfect Continuous …………………………………………………………..………….………………...18
Present Perfect Simple …………………………………………………………..……………………………...20
Present Perfect Continuous …………………………………………………..……………………………...22
Simple Future (Will) ……………………………………………………………..………………………………..24
Going To (Future) …………………………………………………………………..…………………………………26
Future Continuous ………………………………………………………………..………………………………...28
Future Perfect Simple …………………………………………………………..………………………………..30
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Present Simple
Used to express:
Routines, permanent situations, habits, facts and also timetabled events.
How is it formed?
Affirmative sentences
He, she, it – works / lives / plays / goes
I, you, we, they – work / live / play / go
Interrogative sentences
Does he, she, it – work / live / play / go?
Do I, you, we, they – work / live / play / go?
Negative sentences
He, she, it doesn’t – work / live / play / go.
I, you, we, they don’t - work / live / play / go.
Spelling cases
Think + s = thinks
Do + es = does
Go + es = goes
Watch + es = watches
Wash + es = washes
Teach + es = teaches
Finish + es = finishes
Pass + es = passes
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VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
Example sentences:
Affirmative
Routine: Paul wakes up at 7.00 A.M. every day.
Habits: I drink coffee twice a day.
Facts: Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
Timetabled events: My plane departs at 8.15 P.M.
Interrogative
What time does Paul wake up every day?
Do you work at IBM?
Negative
Paul doesn’t work in banking.
We don’t like travelling much.
Adverbs of frequency
The adverbs below, which are called “adverbs of frequency”, are used to show
how often something happens:
Always​ .…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 100%
Generally / usually / normally​ ………………………………………………………………………….. 80%
Frequently / often ​ ……………..……………………………………………………………………………….. 50%
Sometimes​ …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 25%
Rarely / seldom / occasionally / hardly ever​ ………………………………………………… 10%
Never​ ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 0%
They are usually placed before the main verb:
e.g.
Paul ​often​ goes to the cinema ​at the weekends.
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I ​usually​ help my mother with the housework.
They are usually placed after an auxiliary verb or verb to be:
e.g.
I am n
​ ever​ late for work.
She is a
​ lways ​at home studying hard.
Susan will ​never​ betray you.
They would ​sometimes​ walk the dog in the afternoon.
Some adverbs can be used at the beginning of a sentence (sometimes,
occasionally, usually, frequently, often and normally)
e.g.
S
​ ometimes​, my wife cooks dinner for me.
Some adverbs can be used at the end of a sentence (Sometimes, quite often
and very often)
e.g.
Gary doesn’t help his father very ​often​.
My best mate says offensive things to me ​sometimes​.
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VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
Present Continuous
Used to express:
Continuous situations which are happening at the time of speaking. Annoying
habits. Future arrangements.
How is it formed?
Affirmative sentences
I + verb to be (am) + gerund (verb + ing) + complement.
He, she, it + verb to be (is) + gerund (verb + ing) + complement.
You, we, they + verb to be (are) + gerund (verb + ing) + complement.
Interrogative sentences
Verb to be (am) + I + gerund (verb + ing) + complement + ?
Verb to be (is) + he, she, it + gerund (verb + ing) + complement + ?
Verb to be (are) + you, we, they + gerund (verb + ing) + complement + ?
Negative sentences
I + verb to be (am) + not + gerund (verb + ing) + complement.
He, she, it + verb to be (is) + not + gerund (verb + ing) + complement.
You, we, they + verb to be (are) + not + gerund (verb + ing) + complement.
Contractions
Reason for using them:
We use contractions to make language more informal.
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Is + not = isn’t
Are + not = aren’t
Example sentences:
Affirmative
Actions happening at the time of speaking: I’m eagerly writing this e-book to
my lovely students and Instagram followers.
Annoying habits: My sister is always telling me what to do! I hate it!
Future arrangements: I am seeing my aunt tomorrow evening so I won’t be able
to teach you then.
Interrogative
Are you working tomorrow evening?
Negative
My mother isn’t cooking now. She’s sleeping.
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VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
Was / Were (Past of verb to be)
Affirmative
Subject pronoun
To be - Present
To be - Past
I
am
was
He
is
was
She
is
was
It
is
was
You
are
were
We
are
were
They
are
were
Example sentences
Nancy wasn’t very hungry yesterday but she is now.
They weren’t at school in May but they were in June.
Interrogative
(To be) Past
Personal Pronoun
Was
I…?
Was
he…?
Was
she…?
Was
it…?
Were
you…?
Were
we…?
Were
they…?
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Example sentences
Was the weather good yesterday?
Were your parents angry with you when you broke the vase?
Negative
Contractions
Was + not = wasn’t
Were + not = weren’t
Subject pronoun
(To be) Past - Negative
I
wasn’t
He
wasn’t
She
wasn’t
It
wasn’t
You
weren’t
We
weren’t
They
weren’t
Example sentences:
My boss wasn’t at the office yesterday.
They weren’t happy about the final results.
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VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
Past Simple
Used to express:
Situations that happened in the past and finished in the past. Sometimes they
are accompanied by time expressions. E.g. ago, last week, yesterday, last night,
in 1991, etc.
How is it formed?
Affirmative sentences
I, he, she, it, you, we, they + verb in the past + complement.
Interrogative sentences
Did + I, he, she, it, you, we, they + verb in the base form + complement + ?
Negative sentences
I, he, she, it, you, we, they + did + not + verb in the base form + complement.
Contraction
Did + not = didn’t
We use didn’t with I, he, she, it, you, we, they.
Example sentences
Affirmative
I played football yesterday.
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My sister danced a lot at the party.
Mick broke the glass.
She gave me a present last year.
Interrogative
Did you play football yesterday?
Did your sister dance a lot at the party?
Negative
I didn’t visit my aunt yesterday evening.
My brother didn’t travel to England in 1999, he travelled in 1998.
Regular verbs
We make the past of regular verbs:
By adding ed.
E.g. paint – painted
By adding d.
E.g. like – liked
By adding ied.
E.g. study – studied
By adding ed and also doubling the last consonant when the verb ends
in consonant + vowel + consonant.
E.g. Beg – begged
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VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
Irregular verbs
The past tense of irregular verbs is formed by a change in spelling. There are
200 irregular verbs in the English language and the only way to know them is
by using them quite often.
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Past Continuous
Used to express:
Continuous actions in the past that sometimes interrupt another action in the
past.
How is it formed?
Affirmative
I, he, she, it + was + gerund + complement.
You, we, they + were + gerund + complement.
Interrogative
Was + I, he, she, it + gerund + complement.
Were + you, we, they + gerund + complement.
Negative
I, he, she, it + was + not + gerund + complement.
You, we, they + were + not + gerund + complement.
Example sentences
Affirmative
I was running.
They were listening to jazz music.
Interrogative
Was she writing the essay?
Were you taking care of your son?
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VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
Negative
My dad wasn’t going up the stairs.
My students weren’t doing the exercises.
Other example sentences (When one continuous action is interrupted by
another action in the past)
E.g.​
Cloe was sleeping when I called her.
My parents were watching television when the bell rang.
While I was devising this e-book, my son was playing with his toys.
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Past Perfect Simple
Used to express:
When there are 2 actions in the past and one action happened earlier than
another action. In that case, the action that happened earlier in the past is the
Past Perfect tense and the action later in the past is the Simple Past tense​.
How is it formed?
Affirmative
I, he, she, it, you, we, they + had + past participle + complement.
Interrogative
Had + I, he, she, it, you, we, they + past participle + complement + ?
Negative
I, he, she, it, you, we, they + had + not + past participle + complement.
Example sentences
Affirmative
When I got to the cinema, the film had already started.
Interrogative
Had you learnt English when you first v​ isited the UK​?
Negative
I hadn’t bought the car when I started working at that company.
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VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
Contractions
Had + not = hadn’t
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Past Perfect Continuous
Used to express:
Continuous actions that had been happening (in progress) up to the time that
something else happened in the past. Again here, there are 2 actions in the past
but the continuous action happened earlier in the past than the other past
action.
How is it formed?
Affirmative
I, he, she, it, you, we, they + had + been + gerund + complement.
Interrogative
Had + I, he, she, it, you, we, they + been + gerund + complement?
Negative
I, he, she, it, you, we, they + had + not + been + gerund + complement.
Contractions
Had + not = hadn’t
Example sentences
Affirmative
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VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
It had been raining for many hours, then the sun began to shine beautifully.
Interrogative
Had you been reading when you heard the explosion?
Negative
They hadn’t been working on the roof when we inspected the construction.
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Present Perfect Simple
Used to express:
Actions that started in the past and affect your present life (These actions may
or may not have finished). With expressions like: so far, recently, lately, for,
since, ever, yet, just, already, over the past weeks, this month, first time, second
time etc.
How is it formed?
Affirmative
I, you, we, they + have + Past Participle + complement.
He, she, it + has + Past Participle + complement.
Interrogative
Have + I, you, we, they + Past Participle + complement.
Has + he, she, it + Past Participle + complement.
Negative
I, you, we, they + have + not + Past Participle + complement.
He, she, it + has + not + Past Participle + complement.
Contractions
have + not = haven’t
has + not = hasn’t
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VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
Example sentences
Affirmative
I have been a teacher for quite some time now.
She has just bought a brand new car.
Interrogative
How long have you been here for?
Has she ever been to England?
How long have you known each other?
Negative
I haven’t finished this exercise yet.
They haven’t done their homework.
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Present Perfect Continuous
Used to express:
Actions that started in the past, continue to the present and possibly move
towards the future. Repeated actions. To show that a situation is temporary.
How is it formed?
Affirmative
I, you, we, they + have + been + gerund + complement.
He, she, it + has + been + gerund + complement.
Interrogative
Have + I, you, we, they + been + gerund + complement + ?
Has + He, she, it + been + gerund + complement + ?
Negative
I, you, we, they + have + not + been + gerund + complement.
He, she, it + has + not + been + gerund + complement.
Example sentences
Affirmative
I have been painting my room for 2 days. I believe I’ll be able to finish it
tomorrow.
Monica has been studying for her finals since May. Her tests are going to be in
July.
I’ve been playing tennis since I was little. That’s why I’m so good at that.
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VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
Interrogative
How long have you been going out with Marie? It seems ages!
Has she been working for the same company since 2000?
Negative
Why haven’t you been doing your homework Ben?
Rose hasn’t been doing sports since she got divorced.
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Simple Future (Will)
Used to express:
Decisions made at the time of speaking (spontaneous decisions). With the
verbs thing and believe. When we talk about probability with the verbs and
words: I’m sure… I promise… I hope… Whenever making requests, offers,
promises and threats. Sometimes we can use “Shall” instead of “Will” after I
and We only (especially British English)
How is it formed?
Affirmative
I, he, she, it, you, we, they + will + verb in the base form + complement.
Or
I or we + shall + verb in the base form + complement.
Interrogative
Will + I, he, she, it, you, we, they + verb in the base form + complement + ?
Negative
I, he, she, it, you, we, they + will + not + verb in the base form + complement.
Or
I or we + shall + not + verb in the base form + complement.
Contractions
Will + not = won’t
Shall + not = shan’t (British English)
I + will = I’ll
He + will = He’ll ...
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VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
Example sentences
Affirmative
I expect I will be the best doctor ever.
If you help me, I’ll give you some money.
I will come with you to the party. It seems to be great!
I shall be rich in the future.
Interrogative
Will you help me with the washing?
Will she go to Glasgow with you?
Shall I help you with these bags?
Negative
I won’t do that for you.
If you don’t tell me what your problem is, I won’t be able to help you.
We shall not make it to the end of the course. We have a big problem.
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Going to (Future)
Used to express:
Future intentions. Future based on evidence.
How is it formed?
Affirmative
I + am + going to + verb (base form) + complement.
He, she, it + is + going to + verb (base form) + complement.
You, we, they + are + going to + verb (base form) + complement.
Interrogative
Am + I + going to + verb (base form) + complement + ?
Is + he, she, it + going to + verb (base form) + complement + ?
Are + you, we, they + going to + verb (base form) + complement + ?
Negative
I + am + not + going to + verb (base form) + complement.
He, she, it + is + not + going to + verb (base form) + complement.
You, we, they + are + not + going to + verb (base form) + complement.
Contractions
He + is + not = He isn’t or He’s not
You + are + not = You’re not or You aren’t
Going to = gonna (informal)
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VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
Example sentences
Affirmative
I won’t be able to attend the class tonight. I’m going to visit my mate in the
hospital.
Watch out! The car is going to hit you. (Based on evidence)
Interrogative
Are you going to join us for lunch?
Is Mary going to clean the house? = Is Mary gonna clean the house? (NOT
gonna to…)
Negative
I’m not going to tell you the end of the story.
They aren’t going to watch the film tomorrow. They’re busy.
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Future Continuous
Used to express:
When we are in the middle of doing something sometime in the future. For
timetabled events in the future. Used to predict what somebody is doing at the
moment.
How is it formed?
Affirmative
I, he, she, it, you, we, they + will + be + gerund + complement.
Interrogative
Will + I, he, she, it, you, we, they + be + gerund + complement +?
Negative
I, he, she, it, you, we, they + will + not + be + gerund + complement.
Example sentences
Affirmative
I won’t be able to answer your call at 8.00P.M. as I will be teaching.
Jane will be travelling to Hong Kong next Tuesday. (Timetabled event)
Let's not bother John now. He’ll be working on the project now. (Prediction)
Interrogative
Will you be working at 3.00 P.M.? I would like to meet you then.
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VERB TENSES - FABRÍCIO RAPOSO E DIRETÓRIO CIENTÍFICO
Negative
I won’t be travelling tomorrow. I’ll be at home.
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Future Perfect Simple
Used to express:
Actions that will be finished between now and some point in the future. Used
for finished actions in the future.
How is it formed?
Affirmative
I, he, she, it, you, we, they + will + have + Past Participle + complement.
Interrogative
Will + I, he, she, it, you, we, they + have + Past Participle + complement + ?
Negative
I, he, she, it, you, we, they + will + not + have + Past Participle + complement.
Example sentences
Affirmative
I’ll have bought a new car by the end of this year. Fingers crossed!
By 2030, I will have set up a very profitable company.
Interrogative
When will you have finished the report I’ve been asking you about?
Negative
I’m sure Pedro won’t have moved out by 2022.
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ENGLISH
WEEK
THE
END
@fabricio.cambridge
@diretoriocientifico