There are three main divisions of time:1. Present2. Past3. Future

These tenses are further sub-divided into:1. Simple2. Progressive3. Perfect4. Perfect Progressive

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Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb regular form

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Not + Verb

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Facts and generalizationA dog is an animalHabits and routines I learn English twice a weekPermanent situationsI come from BasilState verbs (e.g. be, have, think, know) moreI have two eggs Fixed / official arrangement that we can't

changeThe course starts in April

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb + ing

Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Verb + ing

Present or temporary activitiesThey are swimming in the seaI'm drinking hot coffee now

Future (personal) arrangementsHe is getting married this monthI'm having my first driving lesson this week

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Past participle

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Past participle

Subject + Auxiliary verb+not + Past participle

Actions which happened at an indefinite (unknown) time before nowWe have already had breakfastI have already been to Paris

Actions in the past which have an effect on the present momentI have bought new shadesSomeone has taken my bag

Actions which began in the past and continue in the presentJohn has been a plumber for 2 yearsHe has been our most serious partner for so long that I can assure you he's a very decent man

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Actions that started in the past and continue in the presentShe's (=she HAS) been crying in her room for half an hour nowWe've been waiting for a good offer to buy a car since March

Actions that have recently stoppedI've been waiting for you to come (but now you're back!)

Subject + Verb + ed or an irregular form

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb

Events in the past that are now finished (e.g. I went to school) * I saw two colorful fishes in the lake yesterdayMary tried the soup but it was too hot to eatThey saw us playing footballHe married a woman who lived in the same village

Situation in the past (they lived a normal life until they won a lottery) ** I lived in New York for 10 years (I don't live there anymore)

A series of actions in the pastHe entered a room, lit a cigarette and smiled at the guests

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb + ing

Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Verb + ing

1. Actions in progress1. At 3 p.m., I was having lunch2. We were all thinking about our holidays3. Yesterday at this time Steven Seagal was riding a

horse

2. Interrupted actions in progress*1. They were talking about her when she walked into the

room2. Shannon was filling in a questionnaire when the pen

ran out of ink3. John was smoking a cigarette when he saw a spider

3. Actions in progress at the same time in the past.

1. While Kenneth was cleaning the living room, Sam was washing the dishes

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Past participle

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Past participle

Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Past participle

A completed action before another activity in the pastWhen we arrived, the concert had already finishedIt had got/gotten worse before it got better.By the time I watched my favorite program, I had drunk a cup of beeBy the time I got to the market, most of the stalls had already been closed

Third conditional sentences (a) and reported speech (b) (read more at the bottom the page)If I hadn't taken my keys from the drawer, I would be able to get into my houseMy mum asked me whether I had visited grandma the previous day.

Dissatisfaction with the pastI wish I had taken more food with me

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Duration of a past action up to a certain point in the pastI had been running for an hour when it started rainingKathy put on weight because she had been eating too much sugarWhen I saw him I knew that he had been training

Third conditional sentences (a) and reported speech (b)Mary said she had never been swimming so much in one day

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Verb

Subject + Auxiliary verb + not + Verb

Promises

I will come back at 10 p.m

I will get Mary

Unplanned actions (spontaneous decisions)

Predictions based on experience or intuition

I think he will regret his choice

When I'm 60 years old, I will be completely bald

Let's buy the snacks at the supermarket - they will be cheaper

Habits

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing ?

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Not + Auxiliary verb + Verb + ing

1. Future actions in progress.1. She'll be having a bath when I'm back home2. Tomorrow at nine, I will be hosing off

(=washing with a hose) my car3. This time next week, I will be throwing a party4. I'll be watching TV when my mother arrives

2. Guesses about the present or the future.1. They will be getting home just about now

3. Polite questions about somebody's intentions*.

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Auxiliary verb + Present participle

Auxiliary verb + Subject + Auxiliary verb + Present participle ?

Subject + Auxiliary verb + Not +Auxiliary verb + Present participle

Actions that will be finished before some point in the future

They will have graduated from Cambridge by July 2009. I will have retired by the end of the year. I read 40 pages a day. If I keep up the pace, I will have read the book by Tuesday.

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