The Tenses

tenses Simple Continuous Prefect Perfect continuous

No “ing”, no helping At/ at the time/ By/ by the time By/ by the time/
verb when duration
forms
Present When to use: When to use: When to use: When to use:
* Any fact * Event that is * Something finished * An event that
happening at the just now started in the past
* Any habit
moment and still going on
*An action that is over
* Description until now
* Something in
*An event started in
* Direction progress Note:
the past and still
* Schedule * Something in the going on With stative verbs
* Fiction (movie or future that you (verbs of emotion
* Unfinished time
book) are very sure of and possession) such
(used with words:
as: love, hate, own,
Examples: *Irritating habits today, so far, until
possess, have, care,
(used with words: now, this month, this
The sun rises in the we can’t use the
always, forever, week…etc)
east present perfect
regularly,
continuous tense
I brush my teeth consonantly,
everyday continuously) because it will be a
gerund so for these
The painting is nice Examples: Examples:
verbs we will use the
Insert the ATM I am breathing at I have finished star case tense.
into the machine the moment writing
Examples:
The movie ends at I am reading a book I have read this book
I have been
4 pm these days
I have stayed in Cairo studying for 2 years
Legally blond is a I am going to Luxor for 4 years now
movie about Barbie tomorrow
(* star case) I have owned this
girl
He is always bag for 2 years now
I have had 4 cups of
irritating me
coffee today
Tense Rule:
verb in the 1st form
Tense Rule:
Have / has + verb in
Tense Rule: the 3rd form
Tense Rule:
am / is / are + verb
Have / has + been +
(ing)
verb (ing)
tenses
Simple Continuous Prefect Perfect continuous
forms No “ing”, no helping At/ at the time/ By/ by the time/ By/ by the time/
verb when/ While before/ after duration
Past When to use: When to use: When to use: When to use: (NFT)
* An event happen * One event * Compare two * One event
in the past (so it happened and events started before the
doesn’t tell u another one comes second event and
* Mentioning a point
anything about with it. continued till the
of time (not
what is going on second event
* An event duration)
now) happen but may still
happened in a point
is going on.
* A habit in the of time (usually with
past when) (use when here to
Note: With two events mention duration
* A habit in the * An event
we use (before, after). of time)
past but it is happened in a
stopped now duration of time And the past perfect
(with the word: (usually with while) always comes before
used to). before and after after
Note: The longer
to indicate which one
 event always takes happened first and the
“ing”, the shorter tense of the other
event can be a verb would be past
simple past when simple.
Examples: using “when”, or it Examples:
Examples:
can be a past
I went to church I had had lunch I had been eating
continuous if we use
yesterday before I left for food for 4 hours
“while”, it depends
church when the bell rang
I ate lots of on the duration of
chocolate as a child the shorter event. I had finished my I had been driving
homework by 0077 pm my car for 3 hours
I used to eat lots of Examples:
when you came by.
chocolate as a
I was eating ice
child.
cream when you
called
At 6 o’clock Tense Rule:
Tense Rule:
yesterday, I was
Had + been + Verb
rd
taking a walk Had + 3 form of the
(ing)
Tense Rule: Verb
While I was
verb in the 2nd form cooking, my son
 was playing
football

Tense Rule:
Was/ were + Verb
(ing)

tenses
Simple Continuous Prefect Perfect continuous
forms No “ing”, no helping At/ at the time/ By/ by the time By/ by the time/
verb when/ While duration
Future When to use: When to use: When to use: (NFT) When to use: (NFT)
* I’m relatively sure * An event will be * By a certain point * By a certain point
of something will in progress and time in the future, time in the future,
happen in the another event an event will be an event will be
future takes place over happening and
still continuing.
* You are * An event will be
 determined to do in progress at a
something in the certain point of
future time
* you have Note: with the 2
Immediate future verbs: one verb will
be in the continuous Examples:
* You are unsure of
future and the other
something Examples: I will have been
verb will be in a
Examples: eating for 4 hours.
simple present I will have done my
I will go there home work by the By 5 pm I will have
Examples:
tomorrow time you arrive been sitting in the
I may be sleeping train for 8 hours
I am going to go I will have finished
when you knock
there tomorrow reading before next
I will be watching week
Run! The train is Tense rule:
the movie at 6
about to leave o’clock Will / may/ might
I may/ might be Tense rule: have been +
late today Will + have + Verb (ing)
Tense rule:
Tense Rule: 3
rd
form of the verb
Will/ may/ might +
Will/ may/might + be + verb (ing) (ing)
verb in the 1st form
or
Am/is/are + going to
(about to)
+ 1st form