ACTIVE TENSES





Simple Present
Structure:
He works
She works
It works
I work               in an office.
You work
We work
You work
They work
NOTE:  The third person singular (he/she/it) always ends in –s.
Example:  He works in an office.
Uses:
Permanent truths  (Something that is always true.)
Summer follows Spring.  (Always)
The present period:  To refer to events, actions or situations which are true in the present period of time and which may continue.
My father works in a bank everyday.  (Key word=everyday)
Habitual actions:  Things that happen repeatedly. Many times used with an adverb of indefinite frequency.
I sometimes stay up until midnight.  (Keyword=sometimes)
Future reference:  If there is an idea of a plan or schedule.
We leave tomorrow at 10:00 and arrive at 12:30.  (Keyword=tomorrow)








Present Progressive/Continuous (am/is/are + verb-ing)
Structure:

I am
He is
She is                      writing.
It is                          running.
We are
You are
They are

I’m
He’s
She’s                    writing.
It’s                        running.
We’re
You’re
They’re
Uses:
Actions in progress at the moment of speaking
Someone’s knocking at the door.
What are you doing now?  (Keyword=now)
Planned actions (future reference)
We’re spending next summer in Austria.  (Keyword=next summer)


Simple Past
Structure:

Regular Past


I
He
She                    played.
It                        worked.
We
You
They

Irregular Past


I
He
She               shut the book.
It                   sat on the floor.
We
You
They
Uses:
Completed actions:  A time reference must be given or understood from context.
Sam phoned a few minutes ago.  (Keyword=ago)
I had a word with her this morning.
Past habits:  (used to)
I smoked two packs a day until I gave it up.  (In the past)
Immediate past (happened a very short time ago):  This can sometimes be used without a time reference.
Jimmy punched me in the stomach.
Did the phone ring?  (In the past)
Polite inquiries:  This doesn’t refer to a past time.  It’s used many times with verbs like:  hope, think or wonder particularly when asking for favors.
I wonder if you could help me.
(Could is more polite than can)
I wondered if you could help me.  (more tentative/ polite)



Past Progressive/Continuous (was/were + verb-ing)
Structure:
    
     I was
     He was
     She was                        waiting.
     It was                            working.
     We were
     You were
     They were
Uses:
Actions in progress at some time in the past
John was working on his paper last night. 
Actions which began before something else happened:  Used with the simple past.  The past continuous describes the action in progress and the simple past describes the shorter action.  In this situation, the past progressive is often introduced by conjunctions like:  when, as, just as and while.
Just as I was leaving the house, the phone rang.  (I did NOT finish leaving)

We were eating supper when the phone rang.
Parallel actions:  Two or more actions in progress at the same time.  Use while or at the time.
While I was working, my wife was cooking dinner. 
Polite inquiries:  Even more polite and tentative than the simple past.
I was wondering if you could help me.


Present Perfect (have/has + past participle)
Structure:
    
     He has
     She has
     It has                                waited.
     I have                               left.
     We have
     You have
     They have
Uses:
Actions beginning in the past and continuing up to the present moment. (for + period of time / since + point of time)
He has been at DLI for one month.  (He is still at DLI)
I’ve lived here since 1990.  (I still live here)
Actions occurring (not occurring) at an unspecified time in the past.
She has finished her homework.  (When is NOT important)
Have you seen the new movie?  (Sometime in the past/before)








Present Perfect Progressive/Continuous (have/has  + been + verb-ing)
Structure:
    
     He has been
     She has been                 
     It has been                            waiting
     I have                                    eating.
     We have been
     You have been
     They have been

Uses:
Used to emphasize that an activity has been in progress throughout a period of time.
She is tired.  She’s been cleaning the house all day.  (She’s not finished)
To show an action that is frequently repeated.
He has been calling me every night for the past week.  (He still calls)
To show that you have come to a conclusion based on direct or indirect evidence.
It often occurs in complaints.
You’re eyes are red.  You’ve been crying.
The room stinks.  Someone has been smoking in here.


Past Perfect (had + past participle)
Structure:
    
     I had
     He had
     She had                        waited.
     It had                            left.
     We had
     You had
     They had

Uses:
Refers to an earlier past:  Shows which of two events happened first.
The patient had died when the doctor arrived.  (Two actions=died and arrived)
Can function as the past equivalent of the present perfect.
She is excited because she has never been to a dance before.

She was excited because she had never been to a dance before.
To describe things that we hoped or wished to do, but didn’t.  Used with verbs like:  expect, hope, mean, suppose, think and want.
I had hoped to finish my homework in an hour, but it took much longer.









Past Perfect Progressive/Continuous (had + been + verb-ing)
Structure:
    
     I had been
     He had been
     She had been                  waiting
     It had been                      eating.
     We had been
     You had been
     They had been

Uses:
Used to emphasize that an activity had been in progress throughout a period of time.
She was tired.  She’d been cleaning the house all day.
To show an action that was frequently repeated.
I was annoyed. He had been calling me every night for a whole week.  (He doesn’t call anymore)
To show that you have come to a conclusion based on direct or indirect evidence.
Her eyes were red.  It was obvious that she had been crying.


Simple Future (will + simple form verb)
Structure:

Affirmative


I will (I’ll)
He will (He’ll)
She will (She’ll)  
It will (It’ll)                         stay.
We will (We’ll)
You will (You’ll)
They will (They’ll)

Negative (will not = won’t)

 

I will not (I won’t)
He will not (He won’t)
She will not (She won’t)         stay.
It will not (It won’t)                                  
We will not (We won’t)
You will not (You won’t)
They will not (They won’t)
Uses:
To predict events or to invite prediction
It will rain tomorrow.  (Keyword=tomorrow)
Will taxes rise next year?  (Keyword=next year)
To express hope or expectation after verbs like: be afraid, be sure, believe, doubt, expect, hope, suppose and think.
I hope that I’ll get the job.
I am afraid that I won’t do well on the test. 
Other ways of expressing the future:  (Deal more with intentions, plans and arrangements, not simple prediction.
be going to
Im going to see him tomorrow.
be to
Im to see him tomorrow.
present progressive
Im seeing him tomorrow.
simple present
I see him tomorrow.







Future Progressive/Continuous (will + be + verb-ing)
Structure:
    
     I will be
     He will be
     She will be                   waiting.
     It will be                       working.
     We will be
     You will be
     They will be
Uses:
To describe actions which will be in progress in the immediate or distant future.
Hurry!  The guests will be arriving soon.  (Keyword=soon)
Often used for visualizing a future activity already planned.
Next week at this time, I’ll be relaxing on the beach.  (Keyword=next week)
Sometimes the future continuous is used to describe a simple future action, but in a softer way.  It takes away the element of deliberate intention often implied by will.
I’ll work on this tomorrow.  (intention, possibly a promise)

I’ll be working on this tomorrow.  (just future, no promise)
Can be used to refer to planned events, particularly in connection with travel.
We’ll be spending the winter in Florida.
I’ll be giving a party next week.


Future Perfect (will + have + past participle)
Structure:
    
     I will have
     He will have
     She will have                   left.
     It will have                       finished.
     We will have
     You will have
     They will have
Uses:
To show an action will be completed by a certain time in the future.
I will have retired by the year 2020.  (Keyword=by)
I expect you will have changed your mind by tomorrow.
The continuation of an action up to the time mentioned.
We will have been married a year on May 5th.









Future Perfect Progressive/Continuous (will + have + been + verb-ing)
Structure:
    
     I will have been
     He will have been
     She will have been              living here for more than 20 years by the
     It will have been                  end of the year.
     We will have been
     You will have been
     They will have been
Uses:
The continuation of an action up to the time mentioned.
By this time next week, I will have been working at this company for 25 years.  (Keywords=by the time)

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