Explanations Present Simple

Action that is repeated every Friday. Habitual I visit my uncle every Friday
action.
Facts that are believed to be true. Cats hate mice.
Generalizations The sun rises in the morning.
Scheduled events in the near future The plane takes off at 10 o'clock tonight
Explanations Present Progressive
Action that takes place now / at the moment I am working on my computer
Near future I am leaving tomorrow
Explanations Present Perfect
To talk about experiences I have been to Italy.
Past action that has the result in the present. She has read that book.
Action which started in the past and I have lived in this town for 12 years.
continued up to now.
Explanations Present Perfect Progressive
To show that something started in the past He has been sleeping for the last 3 hours
and has continued up until now.
To talk about an action that started in the The grass is wet because it has been raining all day long.
past and stopped recently.
To talk about an action that started in the I have been watching TV for 2 hours / since you left.
past and is continuing now.
Explanations Past Simple
Completed action in the past. She left yesterday.
To talk about an action that started in the She woke up, had a shower and left.
past and stopped recently.
An action taking place in the middle of She was playing when the accident occurred.
another action.
Explanations Past Progressive
Actions happening at the same time in the He was reading a newspaper while his wife was preparing dinner.
past.
Interrupted action in the past. She was reading a book when the light went off, had a shower and
left.
Explanations Past Perfect Simple
Completed action before another action in She had left when I arrived.
the past.
Explanations Past Perfect Progressive
To show that something started in the past They had been playing soccer when the accident occurred
and continued up until another action
stopped it.
To show that something started in the past I had been living in that town for ten years before I moved to New
and continued up until another time in the York.
past.
We use the Past Perfect Continuous before I was so tired. I had been working for 6 hours.
another action in the past to show cause and
effect.
Explanations Future Simple
Instant decisions I've left the door open; I'll close it.
We use the simple future , when we predict a She'll pass the exam. She's hardworking.
future situation
We use the simple future with: "I (don't) It will probably rain tonight
think...", "I expect...", "I am sure...", "I
wonder...", "probably".
Conditional sentence type one If I have enough time, I'll watch the film.
Explanations Future Progressive
Action that will be taking place at some time When you arrive, I'll be sleeping .
in the future.
 Explanations Future Perfect
Completed action before another action in By tomorrow, I will have finished the work.
the past
Explanations Future Perfect Progressive
It is used to show that an action will continue She will have been working for over 8 hours by the time her
up until a particular event or time in the children arrive.
future.

Simple Present
Affirmative She drinks.
Negative She does not drink.
Interrogative Does she drink?
Form I, you we they play | he, she, it plays

Habitual actions, general truths, regular actions

facts
Uses
actions taking place one after another

action set by a timetable or schedule

Present Progressive
Affirmative He is reading.
Negative He is not reading.
Interrogative Is he reading?
Form To be (in the simple present) + verb + ing

action taking place at the moment of speaking

Uses
action arranged for the future

Simple Past
Affirmative I cried.
Negative I did not cry
Interrogative Did I cry?
Regular verbs: Verb + ed | Irregular verbs: forms differ and should be learned by heart.
Form
This is a list of irregular verbs
 action in the past
Uses

Past Progressive
Affirmative He was driving.
Negative He was not driving.
Interrogative Was he driving?
Form to be (in the simple past) + verb + ing

action going on at a certain time in the past

Uses actions taking place at the same time

action in the past that is interrupted by another action

Present Perfect Simple

Affirmative They have slept.
Negative They have not slept.
Interrogative Have they slept?
Have / has + past participle (past participle of regular verbs: verb + ed | Past participle
Form of irregular verbs: forms differ and should be learned by heart. This is a list of irregular
verbs)

emphasis is on the result (not the duration)

action that started in the past & is still going on

Uses
action that stopped recently

finished action that has an influence on the present

Present Perfect Progressive

Affirmative He has been thinking.
Negative He has not been thinking.
Interrogative Has he been thinking?
Form have or has + been + verb + ing

putting emphasis on the course or duration (not the result)

Uses action that recently stopped or is still going on

finished action that influenced the present

Past Perfect Simple

Affirmative She had won.
Negative She had not won.
Interrogative Had she won?
Form had + past participle (past participle of regular verbs: verb + ed | Past participle of
irregular verbs: forms differ and should be learned by heart. This is a list of irregular
 verbs)

action taking place before a certain time in the past

Uses sometimes interchangeable with past perfect progressive

putting emphasis only on the fact (not the duration)

Past Perfect Progressive

Affirmative He had been waiting.
Negative He had not been waiting.
Interrogative Had he been waiting?
Form had + been + verb + ing

action taking place before a certain time in the past

Uses sometimes interchangeable with past perfect simple

putting emphasis on the duration or course of an action

Future Simple
Affirmative I will open the door.
Negative I will not open the door.
Interrogative Will you open the door?
Form will + verb

We use the simple future for instant decisions.

Uses We use the simple future when we predict a future situation

We use the simple future in conditional sentences type one.

Future Plan
(going to)
Affirmative He is going to clean the car.
Negative He is not going to clean the car.
Interrogative Is he going to clean the car?
Form to be (in the simple present) + going + to + verb

to express the future when we intend to do something or have decided to do

something but did not arrange it. It is just an intention.
Uses

predictions in the future

Future Plan
(Present Progressive)
Affirmative He is traveling to Egypt next week.
Negative He is not traveling to Egypt next week.
Interrogative Is he traveling to Egypt next week?
Form to be (in the simple present) + verb + ing
 when we say what we have planned and arranged to do at a specific time in the
Uses
future. These are fixed plans with definite time and/or place.

Future Progressive
Affirmative She will be listening to music.
Negative She will not be listening to music.
Interrogative Will she be listening to music?
Form will + be + verb + ing

action that is going on at a certain time in the future

Uses
action that is sure to happen in the near future

Future Perfect
Affirmative He will have spoken.
Negative He will not have spoken.
Interrogative Will he have spoken?
will + have + past participle (past participle of regular verbs: verb + ed | Past participle
Form
of irregular verbs.

Uses action that will be finished at a certain time in the future

Future Perfect Progressive

Affirmative You will have been studying.
Negative You will not have been studying.
Interrogative Will you have been studying?
Form will + have + been + verb + ing

action taking place before a certain time in the future

Uses
putting emphasis on the course of an action

Conditional Simple
Affirmative We would relax.
Negative We would not relax.
Interrogative Would we relax ?
Form would + verb

Uses action that might take place

Conditional Progressive
Affirmative He would be writing.
Negative He would not be writing.
Interrogative Would he be writing?
Form would + be + verb + ing

action that might take place

Uses
putting emphasis on the course / duration of the action
 Conditional Perfect
Affirmative He would have written.
Negative He would not have written.
Interrogative Would he have written?
would + have + past participle (past participle of regular verbs: verb + ed | Past
Form participle of irregular verbs: forms differ and should be learned by heart This is a list
of irregular verbs)

Uses action that might have taken place in the past

Conditional Perfect Progressive

Affirmative She would have been sleeping.
Negative She would not have sleeping speaking.
Interrogative Would she have been sleeping?
Form would + have + been + verb + ing

action that might have taken place in the past

Uses
puts emphasis on the course / duration of the action

Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple present or present progressive)

1. Look! Sara (go) to the movies.

2. On her right hand, Sara (carry) her handbag.

3. The handbag (be) very beautiful.

4. Sara usually (put) on black shoes but now she (wear) white trainers.

5. And look, she (take) an umbrella because it (rain)

Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or past perfect)
 1. When he (wake up) , his mother (already /prepare) breakfast

2. We (go) to London because our friends (invite) us

3. He (hear) the news, (go) to the telephone and (call) a

friend.

4. When she (start) learning English she (already /learn) French.

5. Jane (already / type) three pages when her computer (crash) .

6. By the time the doctor (arrive) at the house the patient ( die) .

7. Before that day we (never / think) of traveling to Japan.

8. I (know) him a long time before I (meet) his family.

9. They (not / know) where to meet because nobody (tell) them.

10. It (be) cloudy for days before it (begin) to rain.

Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect).

1. I (just / finish) my homework.

 2. Mary (already / write) five letters.

3. Tom (move) to his home town in 1994.

4. My friend (be) in Canada two years ago.

5. I (not / be) to Canada so far.

6. But I (already / travel) to London a couple of times.

7. Last week, Mary and Paul (go) to the cinema.

8. I can't take any pictures because I (not /buy) a new film yet.

9. (they / spend) their holidays in Paris last summer?

10. (you / ever / see ) a whale?

Put the verbs into the correct tense (Simple Past or Past Progressive).

1. The receptionist (welcome) the guests and (ask) them to fill in the

form

2. The car (break) down and we (have) to walk home.

 3. The boys (swim) while the girls (chat) .

4. My father (come) in, (look) and (tell) me to tidy up

my room.

5. While one group (prepare) dinner the others (collect) wood for the

campfire.

6. While the parents (have) breakfast the children (run) about.

7. Martha (turn) off the light and (go) to bed.

Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple future or future perfect)

1. Tomorrow I think I (start) my new project.

2. I (finish) it by the end of this month.

3. The teacher (probably/assign) a test to his students next Monday.

4. He (correct) it by the end of next week.

5. My friend (certainly/get) a good mark.

6. By 9 o'clock, we (finish) our homework.

7. They (leave) the classroom by the end of the hour.

8. I think I (start) my trip tomorrow