Tenses

transcript

Otherwise known as the

Timeless PresentTimeless Present

When you are referring to habitual actions--actions that you always or never do

When you are referring to unchanging truths

When you are making general statements of fact

When you talk about scheduled events in the near future

(habit) He always comes late to class.

(unchanging truth) The sun rises in the east.

(general statement of fact) They are friendly.

(talks about scheduled events in the near future.) The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.

simple present tense

Always Whenever Everyday

Usually Often Frequently

Sometimes Rarely Occasionally

I study I wait

You study You wait

S/he/it studies s/he/it waits

We study we wait

They study they wait

I play tennis.She does not play tennis.Does he play tennis?The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.The train does not leave at 9 AM.When does the train usually leave?

ADVERB PLACEMENTThe examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.Examples:You only speak English.Do you only speak English?

ACTIVE / PASSIVEExamples:Once a week, Tom cleans the car. ACTIVEOnce a week, the car is cleaned by Tom. PASSIVE

When an activity or situation began and ended at a particular time in the past--in other words, when an activity or situation is completed in the past

To refer to past habitscan also be used to describe past

facts or generalizations which are no longer true.

(Completed action in the past) He was late to class yesterday.

(Completed action in the past) We arrived three weeks ago.

(Past habit) She always wrote a letter to her mother on Sunday night.

(past facts or generalizations which are no longer true.) She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.

Simple Past Tense

Last night, week, year, month, Saturday,semester, etc.

Yesterday

Simple Past Tense

I studied I waited

You studied You waited

S/he/it studied S/he/it waited

We studied We waited

They studied They waited

Simple Past Tense

Sandy studied Japanese for five years.Al studied French when I was a child.Mark played the violin.He didn't play the piano.Did you play a musical instrument when you were a kid?He didn't like tomatoes before.Did you live in Texas when you were a kid?People paid much more to make cell phone calls in the past.

To indicate that an activity or event will take place at a time in the future

When I’m retired, I’m going to travel.Next week, we will work on

punctuation.He is going to get his car fixed

tomorrow.Our plane departs at noon next

Friday.

Future

Tomorrow

Next Saturday, week, month, year, etc.

Future

I will stay I'll stay

You will stay You'll stay

S/he/it will stay S/he/it'll stay

We will stay We'll stay

They will stay They'll stay

Future

I am going to stay I'm going to stay

You are going to stay You're going to stay

S/he/it is going to stay S/he/it's going to stay

We are going to stay We're going to stay

They are going tostay

They're going to stay

Future

Sometimes the simple present tense or thepresent progressive tense are used to express afuture meaning. Usually these tenses are usedwhen scheduled events are being discussed.I arrive I am arriving

You arrive You are arriving

S/he/it arrives S/he/it is arriving

We arrive We are arriving

They arrive They are arriving

Future Tense

Future

When an activity happened at an unspecified time in the past (before the present)

When an activity has been repeated several times before now

When an activity was very recently completed before now

When an activity is not completed in the past

to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity.

We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important.

You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan, at that moment, that day, one day, etc.

We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.

(unspecified time before now) They have already seen that movie. (repeated activity before now) We have visited New York City many

times. (an action has recently been

completed before now) I have just eaten. (action not completed in the past) I have studied Spanish for many years.

Present Perfect Tense

Before Ever Never

So far Already Yet

Just Recently For

I have studied . . . I have seen . . .

You have studied . . . You have seen . . .

S/he/it has studied . . S/he/it has seen . . .

We have studied . . . We have seen . . .

They have studied . . . They have seen . . .

I've walked . . . I've grown . . .

You've walked . . . You've grown . . .

S/he/it's walked . . . S/he/it's grown . . .

We've walked . . . We've grown . . .

They've walked . . . They've grown . . .

I have seen that movie twenty times.I think I have met him once before.There have been many earthquakes in California.You have grown since the last time I saw you.The government has become more interested in arts education.Man has walked on the Moon.Scientists have split the atom.

This tense is not used a lot. It can often be used interchangeably with the simple past because these tenses do not differ much in meaning. The past perfect tense refers to activities that happened before a specific time in the past.

Example, He had visited her many times before she died.

Form: had + past participle

(something occurred before another action in the past) I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet.

She had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska.

She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

She only understood the movie because she had read the book.

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:You had previously studied English

before you moved to New York.Had you previously studied English

before you moved to New York?

Completed Action Before Something in the Past

The future perfect expresses the idea that an activity will occur before some future time.

Example: She will have finished dinner before the game starts.

Form: will + have + past participle

You will have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.

You are going to have perfected your English by the time you come back from the U.S.

NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Perfect with little or no difference in meaning.

The Future Perfect expresses the idea that something will occur before another action in the future. It can also show that something will happen before a specific time in the future.

By next November, I will have received my promotion.

By the time he gets home, she is going to have cleaned the entire house.

I am not going to have finished this test by 3 o'clock.

Will she have learned enough Chinese to communicate before she moves to Beijing?

Sometimes called the Present Continuous Tense

When an activity is in progress now at the moment of speaking

When an activity began before now and continues into the future without stopping.

When an activity is temporary.When an activity is developing and

changing.

I’m explaining something to the class right now.

He’s taking 16 credits this semester.She is understanding English more

and more because she moved into the dorm.

Present Progressive Tense

Right now, at thismoment

This year, week,month, etc.

As we speak

I am studying I'm studying

You are studying You're studying

S/he/it is studying S/he/it's studying

We are studying We're studying

They are studying They're studying

This tense is used to refer to activities continuously in progress around a time in the past.

Example: They were eating when the taxi arrived.

Form: was or were + verbing

This tense is used when an activity was continuously in progress before a specific time in the past.

Example: I had been thinking about her before she called.

Form: had + been + verbing

This tense is used to describe actions that have been continuously in progress before now. These actions are not completed.

Example: I have been waiting here for the last two hours.

Form: have or has + been + verbing

This tense is used to refer to activities that will be continuously in progress around some future time.

Example: We will be flying over New York at noon tomorrow.

Form: will + be + verbing

This tense is used to refer to activities that will be continuously in progress before a future time.

Example: He will have been working for 3 hours before you arrive.

Form: will + have + been + verbing

PRESENT PERFECT (have or has + past participle of verb)I have studied English.He has studied English.

PAST PERFECT (had + past participle of verb)I had studied English.He had studied English.

FUTURE PERFECT (will or shall + have + past participle of verb)I will have studied English.He will have studied English.

PRESENT PROGRESSIVE (form of "be" verb + "ing" form of main verb)I am studying English.He is studying English.

PAST PROGRESSIVE (past tense of form "be" verb + "ing" form of main verb)I was studying English.He was studying English.

FUTURE PROGRESSIVE (will or shall +be + "ing" form of main verb)I will be studying English.He will be studying English.

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (have or has + been + "ing" form of main verb)I have been studying English.He has been studying English.

PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (had + been + "ing" form of main verb)I had been studying English.He had been studying English.

FUTURE PERFECT PROGRESSIVE (will or shall + have + been + "ing" form of main verb)I will have been studying English.He will have been studying English.

The charts in this presentation were adapted from the work of Betty Schrampfer Azar. She is the author of Understanding and Using English Grammar and many other useful ESL texts.

Tenses

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