English Tenses

PRESENT TENSES SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

I play You play He plays She plays It plays We play You play They play

Do I play? Do you play? Does he play? Does she play? Does it play? Do we play? Do you play? Do they play?

I do not play You do not play He does not play She does not play It does not play We do not play You do not play They do not play

always, often, usually, rarely, sometimes, occasionally, frequently, generally, never, every …

USE:

PRESENT CONTINUOU S TENSE

I am playing You are playing He is playing She is playing It is playing We are playing You are playing They are playing

Am I playing? Are you playing? Is he playing? Is she playing? Is it playing? Are we playing? Are you playing? Are they playing?

I am not playing You are not playing He is not playing She is not playing It is not playing We are not playing You are not playing They are not playing

now, right now, at the moment, at this moment, at present,

USE: - say what is happening at the moment

I have played You have played He has played She has played It has played We have played You have played They have played

Have I played? Have you played? Has he played? Has she played? Has it played? Have we played? Have you played? Have they played?

I have not played You have not played He has not played She has not played It has not played We have not played You have not played They have not played

just, already, ever, never, since, for, yet, always, lately, recently, so far, this …, today, how long?

USE:

PRESENT PERFECT TENSE

- describe states, general truths I live with my parents. Water boils at 100 degrees. - describe regular events I usually work late on Mondays. They go on holiday to Ireland every year.

We’re having dinner just now. - describe a temporary state

I’m doing a French course this year. - describe a future arrangement I’m playing tennis tomorrow evening.

- present result of a past action I’ve bought a new book. - an activity or situation started in the past and still continues in the present They’ve lived in Paris for three years. - the time frame comes up to the present Have you ever been to Brazil?

STATIVE / NON-CONTINUOUS VERBS

- verbs of liking and disliking: like, love, prefer, hate, want, wish, need - verbs that describe mental activity: think, imagine, believe, know, realize, mean, understand, remember, suppose, feel, hope, see - verbs of appearance: be, seem, appear, look, sound, taste, smell, feel - verbs that describe a permanent state: belong to, contain, include, matter, owe, own

PAST TENSES SIMPLE PAST TENSE

I played You played He played She played It played We played You played They played

Did I play? Did you play? Did he play? Did she play? Did it play? Did we play? Did you play? Did they play?

I did not play You did not play He did not play She did not play It did not play We did not play You did not play They did not play

yesterday, the day before yesterday, ago, last ..., when?, on ... (Monday), in ... (1980), etc.

USE: - a completed action in the past We went to the cinema yesterday. - a completed situation in the past He worked in London from 1994 to 1999. - a repeated action in the past They went to Greece every year until 2000.

PAST CONTINUOU S TENSE

I was playing You were playing He was playing She was playing It was playing We were playing You were playing They were playing

Was I playing? Were you playing? Was he playing? Was she playing? Was it playing? Were we playing? Were you playing? Were they playing

I was not playing You were not playing He was not playing She was not playing It was not playing We were not playing You were not playing They weren’t playing

while, all the year, all day, all the time, all week,all last year, when, etc.

USE: - the action started before a particular moment and probably continued after it I was lying on a beach in Greece. - a temporary situation in the past I was living in Bristol last year.

PAST PERFECT TENSE

I had played You had played He had played She had played It had played We had played You had played They had played

Had I played? Had you played? Had he played? Had she played? Had it played? Had we played? Had you played? Had they played?

I had not played You had not played He had not played She had not played It had not played We had not played You had not played They had not played

after, when, as soon as, no sooner ... than, until, etc.

USE: - to look back on an event that occurred before another event in the past When Kate got to the party, Amanda had gone home.

FUTURE TENSES SIMPLE FUTURE TENSE

GOING TO FUTURE TENSE

PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

I shall play You will play He will play She will play It will play We shall play You will play They will play

Shall I play? Will you play? Will he play? Will she play? Will it play? Shall we play? Will you play? Will they play?

I am going to play You are going to play He is going to play She is going to play It is going to play We are going to play You are going to play They are going to play

I shall not play You will not play He will not play She will not play It will not play We shall not play You will not play They will not play

Am I going to play? Are you going to play? Is he going to play? Is she going to play? Is it going to play? Are we going to play? Are you going to play? Are they going to play?

see `PRESENT TENSES`

tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, tomorrow …, next …, in a few …, then, soon, by, etc.

I am not going to play You are not going to play He is not going to play She is not going to play It is not going to play We are not going to play You are not going to play They are not going to play tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, tomorrow …, next …, in a few …, then, soon, by, etc.

USE: - predictions or general statements about the future By 2500 the world will run out of oil.

- a decision made at the moment of speaking, often to make an offer The TV is very loud. ~ I’ll turn it down.

USE: - plans and intentions I’m going to buy a new bag next week. - things we can see or feel about the future Look at those clouds! It’s going to rain.

USE: - personal arrangements (future time expression!) She’s going to the doctor’s next week.

`GOING-TO` FUTURE OR PRESENT CONTINUOUS ? I’m going to see my grandmother on Saturday. => (my) decision: I’ve decided to go, but possibly it isn’t arranged yet. I’m seeing my grandmother on Saturday. => arrangement: I’ve arranged it, she knows I’m coming.