Revision of Tenses

PRESENT SIMPLE

 

 

 

 

USED FOR:  

§  REPEATED ACTIONS / HABITS

§  FACTS OR GENERALISATIONS

 

 

 

 

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

 

 

 

 

USED FOR:       

§ NOW

§  AROUND NOW

§  REPETITION & IRRITATION WITH “ALWAYS”

§  FUTURE PERSONAL PLANS

 

PAST SIMPLE

 

USE 1:  Completed Action in the Past  (I watched a film yesterday)

 

USE 2: A Series of Completed Actions or habits in the past  (I woke up, had breakfast and left to go to work)

 

USE 3: Duration in Past (I lived in England for 5 years)

PAST CONTINUOUS

 

USE 1: Interrupted Action in the Past  (I was reading a book when the phone rang)

USE 2: Specific Time as an Interruption (I was sleeping at 10pm yesterday)

USE 3: Parallel Actions (Tom was cooking while his wife was doing the washing)

 

PRESENT PERFECT

 

USE 1: Unspecified Time Before Now

USED WHEN TALKING ABOUT:

§  EXPERIENCES  (I have been to France)

§  CHANGE OVER TIME (You’ve grown since I last saw you)

§  ACCOMPLISHMENTS (Man has walked on the moon)

§  AN UNCOMPLETED ACTION YOU ARE EXPECTING (They haven’t arrived yet)

§  MULTIPLE ACTIONS AT DIFFERENT TIMES (I’ve been to France twice)

 

 

USE 2: Duration From the Past Until Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Example:  I have loved him ever since I met him.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

 

 

USE 1: Duration from the Past Until Now

Example:  I have been studying English for 5 years.  (I started 5 years ago and I’m still studying it now)

 

USE 2: Recently, Lately

Example: I have been working a lot lately, and I’m very tired.

 

PAST PERFECT

 

USE 1: Completed Action Before Something in the Past

Example:  Yesterday I bought the car which I had seen in the showroom two weeks before.

 

 

USE 2: Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Example:  I finally managed to get over the guy who I had been in love with for 10 years.  (TO BE is commonly used as a non-continuous verb).

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

 

USE 1: Duration Before Something in the Past

Example:  I had been living in Malta for 5 years before I decided to move to Australia.

 

 

USE 2: Cause of Something in the Past

Example:  John was tired because he had been jogging.

 

FUTURE SIMPLE

 

 

WILL IS USED FOR:

§    TO EXPRESS A VOLUNTARY ACTION

§    TO EXPRESS A PROMISE

§    TO EXPRESS A PREDICTION

§    TO SPEAK OF A SPONTANEOUS DECISION / REACTION

§    TO SPEAK OF SOMETHING WE’RE NOT SURE OF

 

GOING TO IS USED FOR:

 

§         TO EXPRESS A PLAN

§         TO EXPRESS CERTAINTY ABOUT THE FUTURE

§         ALSO USED TO EXPRESS A PREDICTION (ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS PROOF THAT THE ACTION WILL HAPPEN)

 

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

 

 

 

USE 1:   Interrupted Action in the Future

Example:  I will be watching TV when she arrives tonight.    

 

 

USE 2:   Specific Time as an Interruption

Examples:  At midnight tonight, we will still be driving through the desert.

                  I am going to be eating dinner when she arrives.  

 

 

USE 3:   Parallel Actions  

Example:  Tonight they will be eating dinner, discussing and having a good time.

 

FUTURE PERFECT

 

  

USE 1:   Completed Action Before Something in the Future

Example:  By next November I will have received my promotion.

 

 

 

USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Future (Non-continuous Verbs)

Example:  I will have been in London for 6 months by the time I leave.

 

 

 

 

 

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

 

 

USE 1:   Duration Before Something in the Future

Example:  James will have been teaching at the University for more than a year by the time he leaves for Asia.

 

USE 2:   Cause of Something in the Future

Example:  Jason will be tired when he gets home because he will have been jogging for over an hour.

 

IMPORTANT

If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday", many English speakers choose to use the Future Continuous. There is also a difference in meaning. Compare the examples below.

EXAMPLES:

I will be reading when my roommate returns.
The reading will be interrupted.

I will have been reading for an hour when my roommate returns.
The reading will stop just before my roommate returns.

 

 

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