1. TENSES OVERVIEW

2. THE PRESENT TENSES SIMPLE PRESENT Habits, facts, opinions.
Stative incomplete actions.
I hate cats. Cats have 4 legs.
I feel bad right now.
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
Incomplete dynamic actions.
Happening now.
I’m studying English.
I’m sitting in class.
PRESENT PERFECT PROG.
Present progressive verbs with duration.
I’ve been studying English for 5 years.
I’ve been sitting for 10 minutes.
PRESENT PERFECT
A completed action that is:
Connected to the present
Repeatable
I’ve taken 3 quizzes.
The queen has died!
This morning, I’ve eaten two pies.

3. SIMPLE PRESENT Super common. Also used with ADV of frequency!
HV: do/does
MV: base form + S for normal 3rd person
NORMAL
NEGATIVE
QUESTION
She eats
She doesn’t eat
Does she eat?
I am
I’m not
Am I?

4. PRESENT PROGRESSIVE Don’t confuse with gerunds! Action verbs only Now
HV: am/is/are
MV: present participle
NORMAL
NEGATIVE
QUESTION
She’s eating
She’s not eating
Are we eating?
I’m being
I’m not being
Are we being loud?

5. PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
Add DURATION
HV: has been/have been
MV: present participle
Action verbs only
Recently, lately
For, since
NORMAL
NEGATIVE
QUESTION
She’s been eating
She hasn’t been studying
Has she been speaking?

6. PRESENT PERFECT Don’t confuse with simple past! HV: has/have
MV: past participle
Yet, already, just
NORMAL
NEGATIVE
QUESTION
She has eaten
We haven’t eaten
Have you eaten?
She has been
They haven’t been
Have they been sick?

7. PRACTICE TIME Use one of the tenses for the sentences below.
Right now, I __________ (study) English.
We __________ (feel) bad right now because we __________ (call) Joe a bad name.
I __________ (study) English for 2 years.
__________ (you, pass) ELP 89 yet?
Lately, we __________ (work) a lot.
Every day, I __________ (wash) the dishes.
My group of friends __________ (hate) country music.

8. PRACTICE TIME Use one of the tenses for the sentences below.
Right now, I am studying (study) English.
We feel (feel) bad right now because we called (call) Joe a bad name.
I have been studying (study) English for 2 years.
Have you passed (you, pass) ELP 89 yet?
Lately, we have been working (work) a lot.
Every day, I wash (wash) the dishes.
My group of friends hates (hate) country music.

9. THE PAST TENSES SIMPLE PAST Finished action with a time.
Won’t be repeated.
I took 3 quizzes yesterday.
I was born in England.
PAST PROGRESSIVE
Incomplete action at a certain time; interrupted.
I was washing dishes at 9.
I was studying when he phoned.
PAST PERFECT PROG.
Past progressive with duration.
I had been washing dishes for 3 hours at 9. I had been studying since 3:00 when he phoned.
PAST PERFECT
Before a simple past action or a past time.
I had eaten when it exploded.
I had studied, washed, and cooked by 9:00 last night.

10. SIMPLE PAST Often confused with present perfect. HV: did
MV: IRREGULAR, base form for questions + negative
NORMAL
NEGATIVE
QUESTION
She went
I didn’t ask
Did we talk?
She was
They weren’t
Were they?

11. PAST PROGRESSIVE Don’t confuse with gerunds! Action verbs only
HV: was/were
MV: present participle
NORMAL
NEGATIVE
QUESTION
She was eating
They’re not leaving
Was she studying?
I was being
We weren’t being
Were they being?

12. PAST PERFECT PROGRESSIVE
Add DURATION
Action verbs only
HV: had been
MV: present participle
Recently, lately
For, since
NORMAL
NEGATIVE
QUESTION
They had been talking
She hadn’t been eating
Had she been working?

13. PAST PERFECT Often replaced with simple past By, by the time, already
HV: had
MV: past participle
NORMAL
NEGATIVE
QUESTION
They had gone
We hadn’t left
Had he seen you?
I had been
She hadn’t been
Had he been?

14. PRACTICE TIME Use one of the tenses for the sentences below.
__________ (you, study) last night?
__________ (you, study) yet?
What __________ (you, do) last night when __________ (the man, call)?
By 9:00, they __________ (stole, already) everything in the store.
At noon, I __________ (study) for two hours. I __________ (be) tired, so I __________ (drink) a bottle of water.
Most people __________ (meet, not) a celebrity before.

15. PRACTICE TIME Use one of the tenses for the sentences below.
Did you study (you, study) last night?
Have you studied (you, study) yet?
What were you doing (you, do) last night when the man called (the man, call)?
By 9:00, they had already stolen (stole, already) everything in the store.
At noon, I had been studying (study) for two hours. I was (be) tired, so I drank (drink) a bottle of water.
Most people haven’t met (meet, not) a celebrity before.

16. THE FUTURE “TENSES” SIMPLE FUTURE
Very strong plans. New plans. Strong predictions.
I’ll help you!
He’ll win; I know it.
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
Strong plans, often arranged with other people.
I’m leaving at 5.
We’re visiting Vancouver in July.
GOING TO
Normal plans. Predictions.
What are you going to do?
I think he’s going to win!
SIMPLE PRESENT
Future scheduled events.
Opens, closes, starts, ends...
The bus leaves at 10:00 tomorrow.
FUTURE PROGRESSIVE
Like present and past progressive, it will be unfinished or interrupted.
This time next year, I’ll be studying Biology.
I’ll be sleeping when you come home.

17. SIMPLE FUTURE HV: will MV: base form NORMAL NEGATIVE QUESTION
She’ll pass
I won’t pass.
Will you pass?
I’ll be
I won’t be
Will they be angry?

18. FUTURE PROGRESSIVE Action verbs only HV: will be
MV: present participle
NORMAL
NEGATIVE
QUESTION
I’ll be sleeping
They won’t be waiting
Will you be helping?

19. GOING TO HV: be going MV: infinitive NORMAL NEGATIVE QUESTION
I’m going to go
We’re not going to be happy
Are you going to wait?

20. PRACTICE TIME Use one of the tenses for the sentences below.
Do you think that team __________ (win) the game tomorrow?
The restaurant __________ (open) at 10:00, so we __________ (wait).
Next week, we __________ (visit) Calgary. We have already booked a hotel.

21. PRACTICE TIME Use one of the tenses for the sentences below.
Do you think that team will win /is going to win (win) the game tomorrow?
The restaurant opens (open) at 10:00, so we ‘ll wait/ are going to wait/are waiting (wait).
Next week, we are going to visit / are visiting (visit) Calgary. We have already booked a hotel.