Verbal tenses summary

1. VERBAL TENSES
SUMMARY

2. PRESENT TENSES

3. PRESENT SIMPLE
Uses
•ROUTINES & HABITS: I play football every Saturday
•PERMANENT ACTIONS: The sun rises in the east.
•WITH STATIVE VERBS: He thinks that his proposal is a good one.
Time expressions
EXPRESSIONS OF FREQUENCY:
I play tennis_____________
Once / twice / three times... a day / week / month / year…
On Mondays...
Everyday / Every… Monday / August / year / class…
ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY:
I __________ play tennis.
I don’t ____________ play tennis.
I am _____________ tired.
ALWAYS / USUALLY / OFTEN / SOMETIMES / HARDLY EVER / ALMOST NEVER/ NEVER

4. PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Uses
•THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING NOW ( I’m explaining Present Continuous)
•TEMPORARY THINGS (I’m living in Lleida, only this summer)
•FUTURE PLANS (I’m having dinner with Joe next Friday)
Time expressions
NOW / RIGHT NOW / AT THE MOMENT / THIS MOMENT
TONIGHT
TODAY
THIS YEAR
AT PRESENT / PRESENTLY
TOMORROW / NEXT WEEK
You aren’t listening to me now.

5. STATIVE VERBS

7. Some verbs can be both stative and dynamic:
Appear
Jack appears to be tired today
She’s appearing on a TV show today.
Be
be is usually a stative verb, but when it is used in the continuous it means 'behaving' or 'acting'
you are stupid = it's part of your personality
you are being stupid = only now, not usually
Feel
feel (stative) = have an opinion: I feel that Mr. Peters is a good teacher.
I’m feeling a little tired today.

8. Have
have (stative) = own : I have a car
have (dynamic) = part of an expression : I'm having a party / a picnic / a bath / a good time / a
break
Look
It looks cold outside
She’s looking out the window
See
see (stative) = see with your eyes / understand : I see what you mean / I see her now, she's just
coming along the road
see (dynamic) = meet / have a relationship with: I've been seeing my boyfriend for three years
Smell
Something smells bad. What is it?
Anne is smelling the perfume to see if she wants to buy it.
Taste
taste (stative) = has a certain taste : This soup tastes great
taste (dynamic) = the action of tasting : The chef is tasting the soup
('taste' is the same as other similar verbs such as 'smell')
Think
think (stative) = have an opinion: I think that coffee is great
think (dynamic) = consider, have in my head: “what are you thinking about?” “I'm thinking about
my next holiday”

9. PAST TENSES

10. PAST SIMPLE
Uses
•An specific event which took place in the past. It’s ended
I drove to the beach on 24th
April.
•Sequence of past complete events: We arrived at the airport and checked in.

11. Time expressions
YESTERDAY
LAST year
three days AGO
IN 1982
IN THE 19TH
CENTURY
WHEN
THEN

12. PAST CONTINUOUS
Uses
•An incomplete action in progress (usually interrupted by another action)
I was having a shower when the phone rang
•Two incomplete actions taking place at the same time in the past.
I was having a shower while my sister was talking on the phone.

13. Time expressions
WHILE / AS + PAST CONTINUOUS
WHEN + PAST SIMPLE
WHILE / AS I was having a shower, the phone rang.
The phone rang WHILE / AS I was having a shower.
WHEN the phone rang , I was having a shower.
I was having a shower WHEN the phone rang.

14. Uses
1) Something that started in the past and continues in the present (or maybe its
consequences continue)
They’ve been married for nearly fifty years.
She has lived in Liverpool all her life.
I’ve had the flu (and I’m still ill…)
2) For something we have done several times in the past and continue to do.
I’ve played the guitar ever since I was a teenager.
He has written 3 books and he is working on another one.
•We often use a clause with since to show when something started in the past:
They’ve been staying with us since last week
PRESENT PERFECT TENSES

15. 3) When we are talking about our past experiences (don’t mention when they
happened)
Have you ever eaten snails?
I’ve never played badminton.
I ‘ve travelled to New York and London vs I travelled to Paris last summer.
!! “Where’s Maria?” “She’s gone to Paris for a week.” (She’ll be back tomorrow)
I’ve been to Italy on holiday. It was great. (I’m already back)
4) A recent action in the past
I’ve just had a sandwich.

16. PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE vs CONTINUOUS
1)I’ve painted the living room blue. (focus on the finished result. The activity is
finished but we can see the results now).
I’ve been decorating the house this summer. (focus on the action and the
action is unfinished)
2) I’ve read that book you lent me. I finished it yesterday. (completion idea)
I’ve been reading that book you lent me. I’ve got another 50 pages to read.
(something is unfinished)
3)She’s written 10 messages. (How much / many…?)
She’s been writing emails for 3 hours. (How long…?)
4) !! I’ve worked here for 30 years.( How long…? BUT it’s a permanent situation)
I usually work in London but I’ve been working in Birmingham for the last 3
weeks.
( How long…? It’s a permanent situation)

17. 5) An explanation for something by referring to a past action or event.
I’ve got an A in the exam because I’ve been studying for months
6) A recent activity that was repeated and is relevant now.
Debbie is a good tennis player. She’s been playing tennis since she was four.

18. Time expressions
•EVER (?): Have you ever driven a car?
•NEVER : I’ve never driven a car.
•HOW LONG (‘?): How long have you lived here?
•SINCE : I haven’t smoked since 2010.
•FOR : I haven’t smoke for four years.
•STILL (-) :’ I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.
• (ONLY) JUST : I’ve just bought a car.
•RECENTLY : I’ve seen Mamma Mia! recently.
•LATELY: She hasn’t posted any updates lately.
•ALREADY (+): I’ve already bought my new car.
•YET (-/?): I haven’t bought a car yet.

19. PAST PERFECT SIMPLE
Uses
1)An action that happened before another action in the past.
By the time he was 20, he had already done a world tour.
Time expressions
•ALREADY
•YET
•BY THE TIME
•AFTER
•BEFORE
•UNTIL
•JUST
•WHEN
•AS SOON AS

21. FUTURE TENSES

22. WILL
Uses
1- Instant decisions:
- I’m celebrating my birthday party next Friday. Would you like to come?
Yes, I’ll go to your birthday party. Thanks.
2- Predictions / based in what we think (= opinions)
I think it won’t rain in the evening
3- Promises and offers:
Mum, I promise I’ll behave better.
Don’t worry, I’ll go and buy some food for you.
4.- Future events in a timetable.
The session will start at 2 o’clock. Don’t be late!

23. Will is often used with:

24. 1- Future plans and intentions:
I'm going to buy a new laptop computer next week
2- Predictions based in what we can see at the moment (evidence):
Look at that car! it is going to crash into the lamp post
BE GOING TO
Uses

25. PRESENT CONTINUOUS
Uses
1- Definite plans in the near future:
I'm having lunch with my friends next Friday at 10 o’clock.
PRESENT SIMPLE
Uses
1- Events which are part of a timetable:
The train leaves at 11:30.

26. Time expressions
• THIS EVENING
•TOMORROW
•SOON
•LATER
•IN THE FUTURE
•NEXT WEEK
•THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
•IN A MINUTE
•IN SEVERAL DAYS
•IN THE YEAR 2020

27. FUTURE CONTINUOUS
Uses
1- An action in progress in an specific time in the future:
At this time next year, he will be studying engineering.
2-An action which will continue over a specific period of time in the future
We’ll be dancing at the club all evening.

28. FUTURE PERFECT SIMPLE
Uses
1- A completed action at a specific moment in the future:
I will have started my new job by this time tomorrow.
* The time expression introduced with by explains when the specific moment will be.

29. Time expressions
• BY / AT THIS TIME NEXT WEEK
•BY JULY
•TOMORROW
•SOON
•LATER
•IN THE FUTURE
•NEXT WEEK
•THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
•IN A MINUTE
•IN SEVERAL DAYS
•IN THE YEAR 2020

30. TENSE HOW TO MAKE WHEN IT IS USED KEY WORDS
Present
Simple
verb or he-she-it +s
do/does
Facts, habits, schedules
(trains, buses, school…)
every (day), never, usually, often, sometimes, always, once
(a week),
twice (a year), on Mondays
feeling, likes, dislikes
Present
Continuous
am-is-are + vb-ing Sth happening at the moment
Arrengements (near future)
right now, now, at the moment, today
this (week), tomorrow, tonight
Past
Simple
Reg. vbs +ed (didn´t)
Irreg. Vbs (2nd column)
Sth happened in the past
Consecutive actions in the past
yesterday, last (summer), in 2016, ago, when
Past
Continuous
was-were + vb-ing Certain point in the past
Sth was happening while sth else happened
while, when
as, yesterday at 5
Present perfect
simple
have-has + participle Sth happened in the past and you can still see the result
or is still going on.
for, since, already, just, yet. Ever, never
how long, recently, lately
Present perfect
continuous
has-have + been + participle Action started in the past and is still going on
Sth that has just stopped and of which the result is
clearly present
for, since, the whole day, all day
recently, lately, all day long
Past
perfect
had + participle Sth happened in the past before another action in the
past. (past of the past). Earlier actions
after, before, since, for
Past
perfect
continuous
had + been + participle Sth began in the past and continued at a later moment I
the past
Sth that had just stopped and of which the result is
clearly visible.
for, since, the whole day, all day
Future
simple
will + infinitive
won´t
Promises, predictions (with no evidence), spontaneous
decisions, offers
tomorrow, next (week), I think, I´m sure, later
Future
going to
am-is-are + going to +
infinitive
Plans, predictions (with evidence), intentions tonight, soon
Future
continuous
will + be + vb-ing Actions that will be in progress at a time in the future At this time tomorrow, on Friday…
Future
perfect
will + have + participle An activity that will be complete by a certain time in the
future
By this time next week, in four months…
STATIVE VERBS
MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL PERCEPTION COMMUNICATION OTHER STATES
dislike, doubt, feel, guess, hate,
hope, know, like, love, need,
realize,
remember, think, understand,
want,
wish
appear, seem, see,
hear,
smell, taste, sound
agree, disagree, deny,
impress
mean, please, promise,
satisfy,
surprise
be, belong, lack,
concern,
deserve, matter, own,
possess, owe