This document provides a summary of different tenses in English including the present, present perfect, past, and past perfect tenses. It explains the uses of each tense, such as using the present simple for regular habits or routines. Examples are given for each tense. Other structures like be/get used to, used to, should/should have, and wish are also summarized with explanations and examples.

1. PRESENT TENSE REVIEW
Present Simple Present
Continuous
Present Perfect
Simple
Present Perfect
Continuous
•She plays the
piano
•She doesn’t
play the guitar
•Do you play a
musical
instrument?
•She is playing
the piano
•She isn’t playing
the guitar
•Are you listening
to her?
•She has written
three letters
•I haven’t eaten
snails
•Have you ever
been to Rome?
•She has been
writing letters all
morning
•She hasn’t been
studying recently
•How long have
you been living in
Granada?
USE:
Regular habit
(routine)
USE:
For actions
happening at
the moment of
speaking (now)
USE:
a) For finished
actions that
took place in an
unspecified
time period
b) For experiences
in your life
USE:
For actions that
may or may not
be completed
in an unfinished
time period

2. Present Perfect Tense Practice
Sentence Explanation
I feel sick. I _______________ (eat) four
cakes this afternoon.
A) You look tired.
B) I am. I _________________
(decorate) since 7 o’clock this
morning.
I ______________ (try) to contact Sarah
for days, but she’s never in.
The government ___________ (ban)
smoking in all public places.
My grandfather __________________
(smoke) for 70 years.
The school football team
_____________ (win) the cup 7 times.
REMEMBER:
How many = present perfect simple
How long = present perfect continuous

3. PAST TENSE REVIEW
Past Simple Past Continuous Past Perfect
•I played the piano
(regular)
•I went to school
(irregular)
•I didn’t play the
piano
•Did you go to
school?
•At 8 o’clock last
night I was doing my
homework
•I wasn’t looking
where I was going
and the bicycle hit
me.
•What were you
doing when the
bomb exploded?
•When we arrived at
the party, Pablo had
already left.
•I hadn’t finished
eating when the bell
rang.
•Had they started
when the teacher
came in?
USE:
To talk about events
or situations which
ocurred at a specfic
time in the past
USE:
To describe
background actions
in progress around a
time in the past.
USE:
To emphasise that
one action took
place before
another one in the
past

4. Be/get used to + ing
Used to + inf
• Be used to doing = something is familiar and is no
longer strange (estar acostumbrado a hacer)
I am used to speaking in English because I have lived in
London for a year now.
• Get used to doing = something is becoming more
familiar (acostumbrarse a hacer algo)
I am getting used to speaking in English now but at first
it was really difficult.
• Used to do = something happened regularly in
the past (equivalent of “solía hacer” or “hacía”)
I used to work hard when I was in Primary
I didn’t use to work hard in Primary but now I do.
Did you use to smoke when you were younger?

5. Should / should have / wish
• Should
You should do something = it is a good thing to do / the right
thing to do. We often use this structure to give advice (deberías
hacerlo)
You look tired. You should go to bed
“Should we invite Susan to the party?” “Yes, I think we should.”
• Should have
You should have done something = you didn’t do it but it would
have been the right thing to do (deberías haberlo hecho)
It was a great party last night. You should have come.
I’m feeling sick. I shouldn’t have eaten all that chocolate.
• Wish
We use wish + past simple to lament a PRESENT situation (ojalá)
I wish my parents understood me more (but they don’t)
We use wish + past perfect to lament a PAST situation
I wish I had studied (but I didn’t)