Table of English Tenses

S im p le te n s e s
T H E PA ST
T H E P R ESEN T T H E FU TU R E
S ig n a l w o r d s S ig n a l w o r d s S ig n a l w o r d s
la s t ... / ... a g o . / .. in 1 9 9 0 / y e ste rd a y e v e r y d a y - s o m e t i m e s - a lw a y s - o fte n - T o m o rro w , th e d a y a fte r to m o rro w .
u s u a l l y s e ld o m - never f ir s t ... t h e n t o n ig h t , s o o n , n e x t w e e k / y e a r . . . ,
8 only, ever, still, just. in a w e e k / m o n t h . . . , in t w o / t h r e e
d a y s /w e e k s ...
U se U se U se
i a c t io n t o o k p la c e in t h e p a s t , m o s t l y - s o m e th in g h a p p e n s r e p e a t e d ly - p r e d ic tio n s a b o u t th e fu tu r e
c o n n e c t e d w it h a n e x p r e s s io n o f t i m e - h o w o ft e n s o m e t h in g h a p p e n s
iIfl (n o c o n n e c t io n to t h e p re s e n t) - o n e a c t io n f o l l o w s a n o t h e r
( y o u t h i n k t h a t s t h . w il l h a p p e n )
-y o u d e c id e to d o s th . s p o n t a n e o u s ly a t
-Com plete actions in the past - t h in g s in g e n e r a ! a f t e r t h e f o l l o w i n g v e rb s th e t i m e o f s p e a k in g , y o u h a v e n 't m a d e
p -Past habits
-finished action at specified time
( to lo v e , t o h a t e , t o t h in k , e t c . ) a d e c i s io n b e f o r e
f u t u r e m e a n in g : t i m e t a b l e s , p r o g r a m m e s - m a in c la u s e in t y p e I o f t h e if c la u s e s

i + S + regural vb-ed /ireg. vb III + S + Vb + ( s/es - at III pers.) + S + Will + Vb (infinitive)

§ - S + Did + Not + Verb (infinitive) - S + Do/Does + Not + Verb(infinitive) - S + Will + Verb (infinitive)
? Did + S + Verb(infinitive) ? Do/Does + S + Verb(infinitive) ? Will + S + Verb(infinitive)
EXAM PLES EXAM PLES EXAM PLES

I d id m y h o m e w o r k la s t n ig h t I d o m y h o m e w o rk e v e r y n ig h t I w il l d o t h e h o m e w o r k a f t e r s c h o o l.

S ig n a l w o r d s S ig n a l w o r d s S ig n a l w o r d s
W h i le , w h e n , a s , N o w , at th e m o m e n t, a t p re se n t, th e s e d a y s, T h is tim e n e x t w e e k / y e a r / m o n th ... a n d

(5 a ll m o r n in g / e v e n in g . . . s t ill, n o w a d a y s , t o d a y , t o n ig h t . . . ( e x c e p t f o r o t h e r t i m e e x p r e s s io n s w it h f u t u r e
fu tu re use) re fe re n c e
L o o k ! L is t e n !
U se U se U se
i - a n a c t io n h a p p e n e d in t h e m id d le o f - s o m e t h i n g is h a p p e n in g a t t h e s a m e t i m e o f - A n a c t io n w ill b e in p r o g r e s s a t a c e r t a in
Tu a n o t h e r a c t io n s p e a k in g o r a r o u n d it t i m e in t h e f u t u r e .
- s o m e o n e w a s d o in g s t h . a t a c e r t a in t i m e - f u t u r e m e a n in g : w h e n y o u h a v e a lr e a d y - T h i s a c t io n h a s b e g u n b e f o r e t h e c e r t a in

D ( in t h e p a s t ) - y o u d o n o t k n o w w h e t h e r it
w a s f in i s h e d o r n o t
d e c i d e d a n d a r r a n g e d t o d o it (a f ix e d p la n ,
d a te )
t im e .
- A n a c t io n w h ic h w ill d e f in it e ly h a p p e n in
- S i m u l t a n e o u s p a s t a c t io n s t h e f u t u r e a s t h e r e s u l t o f a r o u t in e o r

nn - Past unfinished action a rra n g e m e n t.

+ S + Was / were + Vb -ing + S + TO BE + Vb -ing + S + Will + be + Vb -ing

®
on - S + Was / were + Not + Vb -ing - S + TO BE + Not + Vb -ing - S + Will + Not + be + Verb -ing
@ ? Was / were + S + Vb -ing ? TO BE + S + Vb -ing ? Will + S + be + Verb -ing
EXAM PLES EXAM PLES EXAM PLES
I w a s d o in g m y h o m e w o rk w h e n m y S o rry , I a m d o in g m y h o m e w o rk a t th e
f r ie n d I s a b e l a r r i v e d . m o m e n t . I 'ii c a ll y o u b a c k ! A t 5 P M I w ill b e d o in g m y h o m e w o r k .

P erfect te n s e s
T H E PA ST
T H E P R ESEN T T H E FU TU R E

S ig n a l w o r d s S ig n a l w o r d s S ig n a l w o r d s

B B e f o r e , a f t e r , a lr e a d y , j u s t , f o r , s in c e , t i ll, F o r , s in c e , a lr e a d y , y e t , a lw a y s , j u s t , e v e r ,
B e f o r e , b y , b y t h e n , b y t h e t i m e , u n t il, t ill
u n t il, w h e n , b y , b y t h e t im e , n e v e r , yet. n e v e r, s o fa r, to d a y , t h is w e e k / m o n th ...,
R h o w lo n g , la t e ly , r e c e n t ly

U se U se U se

[3 - m o s t l y w h e n t w o a c t i o n s in a s t o r y a r e - Y o u s a y t h a t s t h . h a s h a p p e n e d o r is f in i s h e d - s t h . w il l a lr e a d y h a v e h a p p e n e d b e f o r e a
r e la t e d t o e a c h o t h e r : t h e a c t io n w h ic h in t h e p a s t a n d it h a s a c o n n e c t i o n t o t h e c e r t a in t i m e in t h e f u t u r e

F h a d a lr e a d y h a p p e n e d is p u t in t o P a s t p re s e n t
- A c t io n s t a r t e d in t h e p a s t a n d c o n t i n u e s u p to
- F o r a n a c t io n w h ic h w ill b e f in i s h e d b e f o r e
a s t a t e d f u t u r e t im e .
P e r f e c t , t h e o t h e r a c t io n in t o S i m p l e P a s t
R - th e p a s t o f t h e P r e s e n t P e r f e c t th e p re s e n t
- A n a c t io n t h a t h a s r e c e n t ly f in i s h e d
+ S + HAD + regural vb-ed /ireg.vb III + S + Have/has + regural vb-ed /ireg.vb III + S + Will + Have + regural vb-ed /ireg. b III
vii?

- S + HAD + not + regural vb-ed /ireg.vb III - S + Have + not + regural vb-ed /ireg.vb III - S + Will + Have + Not + Vb -ed / ireg.vb III
T
? HAD + S + regural vb-ed /ireg.vb III ? Have + S + regural vb-ed /ireg.vb III ? Will + S + Have + regural vb-ed /ireg.vb III
EXAM PLES EXAM PLES EXAM PLES
W h e n m y f r ie n d c a m e , I h a d a l r e a d y Look! I have d o n e m y h o m e w o r k . H e r e it is! I w il l h a v e d o n e m y h o m e w o rk b y 8
d o n e m y h o m e w o rk . o 'c lo c k

S ig n a l w o r d s S ig n a l w o r d s S ig n a l w o r d s
A lr e a d y , j u s t , n e v e r , F o r , s in c e , h o w lo n g , a ll d a y , f o r , s in c e , h o w lo n g , la t e ly , r e c e n t ly , a ll T h i s t e n s e is n o t u s e d v e r y m u c h
b e f o r e , u n t il m o r n in g / y e a r . . . , t h e w h o l e d a y b y , b y th e n , b y th e tim e , fo r

ip ®
jj w U se U se U se

E f h o w lo n g s o m e t h in g h a d b e e n h a p p e n in g - a c t io n b e g a n in t h e p a s t a n d h a s j u s t s t o p p e d - s t h . w il l a lr e a d y h a v e h a p p e n e d b e f o r e a
b e f o r e s o m e t h in g e ls e h a p p e n e d - h o w lo n g t h e a c t io n h a s b e e n h a p p e n in g c e r t a in t i m e in t h e f u t u r e
B D -e m p h a s is : le n g th o f t im e o f a n a c tio n -e m p h a s is : le n g th o f t im e o f a n a c tio n

S ra + S + HAD + been + Vb -ing + S + have/has + been + Vb -ing + S + Will + Have been + Vb -ing
; ® - S + HAD + been + Not + Vb -ing - S + have/has + been + Not + Vb-ing - S + Will + Not + Have been + Vb -ing
? Have/has + S + been + Vb -ing ? Will + S + Have been + Vb -ing
r @ ? HAD + S + been + Vb -ing
^ nn EXAM PLES EXAM PLES EXAM PLES
I h a d b e e n w a it in g f o r h a lf a n h o u r I 'v e b e e n d o i n g h o m e w o r k a l l d a y a n d it is I w il l h a v e b e e n d o i n g h o m e w o r k f o r
§ w h e n h e a r r iv e d . s t ill n o t f in i s h e d . o v e r a n h o u r b y th e tim e m y fr ie n d s
a r r iv e .