How do we make the Simple Past Tense?

To make the simple past tense, we use:

past form only

or

auxiliary did + base form

Here you can see examples of the past form and base form for irregular verbs and regular verbs:

V1
base

V2
past

V3
past participle

regular
verb

work
explod
e
like

worked
explode
d
liked

worked
exploded
liked

The past form for all regular verbs

ends in -ed.

irregular
verb

go
see
sing

went
saw
sang

gone
seen
sung

The past form for irregular verbs is

variable. You need to learn it by
heart.

You do not need the past participle form to make the

simple past tense. It is shown here for completeness
only.

The structure for positive sentences in the simple past tense is:
subject

main verb
past

The structure for negative sentences in the simple past tense is:
subject

auxiliary verb

not

main verb

did

base

The structure for question sentences in the simple past tense is:
auxiliary verb

subject

did

main verb
base

The auxiliary verb did is not conjugated. It is the same for all persons (I did, you did, he did etc). And the base form and past form do
not change. Look at these examples with the main verbs go and work:

subject
+

auxiliary verb

main verb

went

to school.

You

worked

very hard.

She

did

not

go

with me.

We

did

not

work

yesterday.

Did

you

go

to London?

Did

they

work

at home?

Exception! The verb to be is different. We conjugate the verb to be (I was, you were, he/she/it was, we were, they were); and we
do not use an auxiliary for negative and question sentences. To make a question, we exchange the subject and verb. Look at these
examples:

subject

main verb

I, he/she/it

was

here.

You, we, they

were

in London.

I, he/she/it

was

not

there.

You, we, they

were

not

happy.

Was

I, he/she/it

right?

Were

you, we, they

late?

How do we use the Simple Past Tense?

We use the simple past tense to talk about an action or a situation - an event - in the past. The event can be short or long.
Here are some short events with the simple past tense:

The car exploded at 9.30am yesterday.

She went to the door.
We did not hear the telephone.
Did you see that car?
past

present

future

The action is in the past.

Here are some long events with the simple past tense:

I lived in Bangkok for 10 years.

The Jurassic period lasted about 62 million years.
We did not sing at the concert.
Did you watch TV last night?
past

present

future

The action is in the past.

Notice that it does not matter how long ago the event is: it can be a few minutes or seconds in the past, or millions of years in the past.
Also it does not matter how long the event is. It can be a few milliseconds (car explosion) or millions of years (Jurassic period). We use
the simple past tense when:

the event is in the past

the event is completely finished

we say (or understand) the time and/or place of the event

In general, if we say the time or placeof the event, we must use the
simple past tense; we cannot use the present perfect.

Here are some more examples:

I lived in that house when I was young.

He didn't like the movie.

What did you eat for dinner?

John drove to London on Monday.

Mary did not go to work yesterday.

Did you play tennis last week?

I was at work yesterday.

We were not late (for the train).

Were you angry?

Note that when we tell a story, we usually use the simple past tense. We may use the past continuous tense to "set the scene", but we
almost always use the simple past tense for the action. Look at this example of the beginning of a story:
"The wind was howling around the hotel and the rain was pouring down. It wascold. The door opened and James Bond entered.
He took off his coat, which wasvery wet, and ordered a drink at the bar. He sat down in the corner of the lounge and
quietly drank his..."

This page shows the use of the simple past tense to talk about past
events. But note that there are some other uses for the simple past
tense, for example in conditional or if sentences.

How do we make the Past Continuous Tense?

The structure of the past continuous tense is:

subject

auxiliary verb BE

main verb

conjugated in simple past tense

present participle

was
were

base + ing

For negative sentences in the past continuous tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and main verb. For question sentences,
we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the past continuous tense:

subject

auxiliary verb

main verb

was

watching

TV.

You

were

working

hard.

He, she, it

was

not

helping

Mary.

We

were

not

joking.

Were

you

being

silly?

Were

they

playing

football?

How do we use the Past Continuous Tense?

The past continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the past. The action started before that moment but has not
finished at that moment. For example, yesterday I watched a film on TV. The film started at 7pm and finished at 9pm.

At 8pm yesterday, I was watching TV.

past

present

future

8pm

At 8pm, I was in the middle of watching

TV.

When we use the past continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time we are talking about. Look at these
examples:

I was working at 10pm last night.

They were not playing football at 9am this morning.

What were you doing at 10pm last night?

What were you doing when he arrived?

She was cooking when I telephoned her.

We were having dinner when it started to rain.

Ram went home early because it was snowing.

Some verbs cannot be used in continuous/progressive tenses.

We often use the past continuous tense to "set the scene" in stories. We use it to describe the background situation at the moment
when the action begins. Often, the story starts with the past continuous tense and then moves into the simple past tense. Here is an
example:
" James Bond was driving through town. It was raining. The wind was blowinghard. Nobody was walking in the streets. Suddenly,
Bond saw the killer in a telephone box..."

Past Continuous Tense + Simple Past Tense

We often use the past continuous tense with the simple past tense. We use the past continuous tense to express a long action. And we
use the simple past tense to express ashort action that happens in the middle of the long action. We can join the two ideas
withwhen or while.
In the following example, we have two actions:
1.

long action (watching TV), expressed with past continuous tense

2.

short action (telephoned), expressed with simple past tense

past

present

Long action.
I was watching TV at 8pm.
8pm

You telephoned at 8pm.

Short action.

We can join these two actions with when:

I was watching TV when you telephoned.

(Notice that "when you telephoned" is also a way of defining the time [8pm].)

future

We use:

when + short action (simple past tense)

while + long action (past continuous tense)

There are four basic combinations:

I was walking past the car

When

when

it exploded.

the car exploded

I was walking past it.

The car exploded

While

while

I was walking past it.

I was walking past the car

it exploded.

Notice that the long action and short action are relative.

"Watching TV" took a few hours. "Telephoned" took a few seconds.

"Walking past the car" took a few seconds. "Exploded" took a few milliseconds.

How do we make the Past Perfect Tense?

The structure of the past perfect tense is:

subject

auxiliary verb HAVE

main verb

conjugated in simple past tense

past participle

had

V3

For negative sentences in the past perfect tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and main verb. For question sentences, we
exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the past perfect tense:

subject

auxiliary verb

main verb

had

finished

my work.

You

had

stopped

before me.

She

had

not

gone

to school.

We

had

not

left.

Had

you

arrived?

Had

they

eaten

When speaking with the past perfect tense, we often contract the subject and auxiliary verb:

I had

I'd

you had

you'd

he had
she had
it had

he'd
she'd
it'd

we had

we'd

dinner?

they had

they'd

The 'd contraction is also used for the auxiliary verb would. For
example,we'd can mean:

We had
or

We would

But usually the main verb is in a different form, for example:

We had arrived (past participle)

We would arrive (base)

It is always clear from the context.

How do we use the Past Perfect Tense?

The past perfect tense expresses action in the past before another action in the past. This is the past in the past. For example:

The train left at 9am. We arrived at 9.15am. When we arrived, the train had left.

The train had left when we arrived.

past

present

future

Train leaves in past at 9am.

9

9.15

We arrive in past at 9.15am.

Look at some more examples:

I wasn't hungry. I had just eaten.

They were hungry. They had not eaten for five hours.

I didn't know who he was. I had never seen him before.

"Mary wasn't at home when I arrived."

"Really? Where had she gone?"

You can sometimes think of the past perfect tense like the present perfect tense, but instead of the time being now the time is past.
past perfect tense
had |
done |
>|

past

present perfect tense

have |
done |
>|

now

future

past

For example, imagine that you arrive at the station at 9.15am. The stationmaster says to you:

"You are too late. The train has left."

Later, you tell your friends:

"We were too late. The train had left."

now

future

We often use the past perfect tense in reported speech after verbs like said, told, asked, thought, wondered:
Look at these examples:

He told us that the train had left.

I thought I had met her before, but I was wrong.

He explained that he had closed the window because of the rain.

I wondered if I had been there before.

I asked them why they had not finished.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

I had been singing

How do we make the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

The structure of the past perfect continuous tense is:

subject

auxiliary verb HAVE

auxiliary verb BE

main verb

conjugated in simple past tense

past participle

present participle

had

been

base + ing

For negative sentences in the past perfect continuous tense, we insert not after the first auxiliary verb. For question sentences, we
exchange the subject and first auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the past perfect continuous tense:

subject

auxiliary verb

auxiliary verb

main verb

had

been

working.

You

had

been

playing

tennis.

It

had

not

been

working

well.

We

had

not

been

expecting

her.

Had

you

been

drinking?

Had

they

been

waiting

long?

When speaking with the past perfect continuous tense, we often contract the subject and first auxiliary verb:

I had been

I'd been

you had been

you'd been

he had
she had been
it had been

he'd been
she'd been
it'd been

we had been

we'd been

they had been

they'd been

How do we use the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

The past perfect continuous tense is like the past perfect tense, but it expresses longer actions in the past before another action in
the past. For example:

Ram started waiting at 9am. I arrived at 11am. When I arrived, Ram had been waitingfor two hours.

Ram had been waiting for two hours when I arrived.

past

present

future

Ram starts waiting in past at 9am.

9

11

I arrive in past at 11am.

Here are some more examples:

John was very tired. He had been running.

I could smell cigarettes. Somebody had been smoking.

Suddenly, my car broke down. I was not surprised. It had not been running well for a long time.

Had the pilot been drinking before the crash?

You can sometimes think of the past perfect continuous tense like the present perfect continuous tense, but instead of the time
being now the time is past.
past perfect continuous tense
had |
been |
doing |
>>>> |

present perfect continuous tense

|
have
|
been
|
doing
|
>>>>

|
|
|
|

past
now
future
For example, imagine that you meet Ram at 11am. Ram says to you:

past

|
|
|
|

now

future

"I am angry. I have been waiting for two hours."

Later, you tell your friends:

"Ram was angry. He had been waiting for two hours."

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

I had been singing

How do we make the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

The structure of the past perfect continuous tense is:

subject

auxiliary verb HAVE

auxiliary verb BE

main verb

conjugated in simple past tense

past participle

present participle

had

been

base + ing

For negative sentences in the past perfect continuous tense, we insert not after the first auxiliary verb. For question sentences, we
exchange the subject and first auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the past perfect continuous tense:

subject

auxiliary verb

auxiliary verb

main verb

had

been

working.

You

had

been

playing

tennis.

It

had

not

been

working

well.

We

had

not

been

expecting

her.

Had

you

been

drinking?

Had

they

been

waiting

long?

When speaking with the past perfect continuous tense, we often contract the subject and first auxiliary verb:

I had been

I'd been

you had been

you'd been

he had
she had been
it had been

he'd been
she'd been
it'd been

we had been

we'd been

they had been

they'd been

How do we use the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

The past perfect continuous tense is like the past perfect tense, but it expresses longer actions in the past before another action in
the past. For example:

Ram started waiting at 9am. I arrived at 11am. When I arrived, Ram had been waitingfor two hours.

Ram had been waiting for two hours when I arrived.

past

present

future

Ram starts waiting in past at 9am.

9

11

I arrive in past at 11am.

Here are some more examples:

John was very tired. He had been running.

I could smell cigarettes. Somebody had been smoking.

Suddenly, my car broke down. I was not surprised. It had not been running well for a long time.

Had the pilot been drinking before the crash?

You can sometimes think of the past perfect continuous tense like the present perfect continuous tense, but instead of the time
being now the time is past.
past perfect continuous tense
had |
been |
doing |
>>>> |

|
|
|
|

past
now
future
For example, imagine that you meet Ram at 11am. Ram says to you:

present perfect continuous tense

|
have
|
been
|
doing
|
>>>>

past

|
|
|
|

now

"I am angry. I have been waiting for two hours."

Later, you tell your friends:

"Ram was angry. He had been waiting for two hours."

Simple Future Tense

I will sing
The simple future tense is often called will, because we make the simple future tense with the modal auxiliary will.

future

How do we make the Simple Future Tense?

The structure of the simple future tense is:

subject

auxiliary verb WILL

main verb

invariable

base

will

V1

For negative sentences in the simple future tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and main verb. For question sentences, we
exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these example sentences with the simple future tense:

subject

auxiliary verb

main verb

will

open

the door.

You

will

finish

before me.

She

will

not

be

at school tomorrow.

We

will

not

leave

yet.

Will

you

arrive

on time?

Will

they

want

dinner?

When we use the simple future tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and auxiliary verb:

I will

I'll

you will

you'll

he will
she will
it will

he'll
she'll
it'll

we will

we'll

they will

they'll

For negative sentences in the simple future tense, we contract with won't, like this:

I will not

I won't

you will not

you won't

he will not
she will not
it will not

he won't
she won't
it won't

we will not

we won't

they will not

they won't

How do we use the Simple Future Tense?

No Plan
We use the simple future tense when there is no plan or decision to do something before we speak. We make the decision spontaneously
at the time of speaking. Look at these examples:

Hold on. I'll get a pen.

We will see what we can do to help you.

Maybe we'll stay in and watch television tonight.

In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The decision is made at the time of speaking.
We often use the simple future tense with the verb to think before it:

I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow.

I think I will have a holiday next year.

I don't think I'll buy that car.

Prediction
We often use the simple future tense to make a prediction about the future. Again, there is no firm plan. We are saying what we think
will happen. Here are some examples:

It will rain tomorrow.

People won't go to Jupiter before the 22nd century.

Who do you think will get the job?

Be
When the main verb is be, we can use the simple future tense even if we have a firm plan or decision before speaking. Examples:

I'll be in London tomorrow.

I'm going shopping. I won't be very long.

Will you be at work tomorrow?

Note that when we have a plan or intention to do something in the

future, we usually use other tenses or expressions, such as the present
continuous tense or going to.

Future Continuous Tense

I will be singing

How do we make the Future Continuous Tense?

The structure of the future continuous tense is:

subject

auxiliary verb WILL

auxiliary verb BE

main verb

invariable

invariable

present participle

will

be

base + ing

For negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we insert not between will and be. For question sentences, we exchange
the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the future continuous tense:

subject

auxiliary verb

auxiliary verb

main verb

will

be

working

at 10am.

You

will

be

lying

on a beach tomorrow.

She

will

not

be

using

the car.

We

will

not

be

having

dinner at home.

Will

you

be

playing

football?

Will

they

be

watching

TV?

When we use the future continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and will:

I will

I'll

you will

you'll

he will
she will
it will

he'll
she'll
it'll

we will

we'll

they will

they'll

For spoken negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we contract with won't, like this:

I will not

I won't

you will not

you won't

he will not
she will not
it will not

he won't
she won't
it won't

we will not

we won't

they will not

they won't

We sometimes use shall instead ofwill, especially for I and we.

How do we use the Future Continuous Tense?

The future continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the future. The action will start before that moment but it will
not have finished at that moment. For example, tomorrow I will start work at 2pm and stop work at 6pm:

At 4pm tomorrow, I will be working.

past

present

future

4pm

At 4pm, I will be in the middle of

working.
When we use the future continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time we are talking about. Look at these
examples:

I will be playing tennis at 10am tomorrow.

They won't be watching TV at 9pm tonight.

What will you be doing at 10pm tonight?

What will you be doing when I arrive?

She will not be sleeping when you telephone her.

We 'll be having dinner when the film starts.

Take your umbrella. It will be raining when you return.

Future Perfect Tense

I will have sung

The future perfect tense is quite an easy tense to understand and use. The future perfect tense talks about the past in the future.

How do we make the Future Perfect Tense?

The structure of the future perfect tense is:

subject

auxiliary verb WILL

auxiliary verb HAVE

main verb

invariable

invariable

past participle

will

have

V3

Look at these example sentences in the future perfect tense:

subject

auxiliary verb

auxiliary verb

main verb

will

have

finished

by 10am.

You

will

have

forgotten

me by then.

She

will

not

have

gone

to school.

We

will

not

have

left.

Will

you

have

arrived?

Will

they

have

received

it?

In speaking with the future perfect tense, we often contract the subject and will. Sometimes, we contract
the subject, will and have all together:

I will have

I'll have

I'll've

you will have

you'll have

you'll've

he will have
she will have
it will have

he'll have
she'll have
it'll have

he'll've
she'll've
it'll've

we will have

we'll have

we'll've

they will have

they'll have

they'll've

We sometimes use shall instead ofwill, especially for I and we.

How do we use the Future Perfect Tense?

The future perfect tense expresses action in the future before another action in the future. This is the past in the future. For example:

The train will leave the station at 9am. You will arrive at the station at 9.15am. When you arrive, the train will have left.

The train will have left when you arrive.

past

present

future
Train leaves in future at 9am.

9.15

You arrive in future at 9.15am.

Look at some more examples:

You can call me at work at 8am. I will have arrived at the office by 8.

They will be tired when they arrive. They will not have slept for a long time.

"Mary won't be at home when you arrive."

"Really? Where will she have gone?"

You can sometimes think of the future perfect tense like the present perfect tense, but instead of your viewpoint being in the present, it
is in the future:
present perfect tense

future perfect tense

|
have |
done |
>|

past

will
have
done
>

now

future

past

now

future

Future Perfect Continuous Tense

I will have been singing

How do we make the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?

The structure of the future perfect continuous tense is:

subject

auxiliary verb WILL

auxiliary verb HAVE

auxiliary verb BE

main verb

invariable

invariable

past participle

present participle

will

have

been

base + ing

For negative sentences in the future perfect continuous tense, we insert not between will andhave. For question sentences, we
exchange the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the future perfect continuous tense:

subject

auxiliary verb

auxiliary verb

auxiliary verb

main verb

will

have

been

working

for four hours.

You

will

have

been

travelling

for two days.

She

will

not

have

been

using

the car.

We

will

not

have

been

waiting

long.

Will

you

have

been

playing

football?

Will

they

have

been

watching

TV?

When we use the future perfect continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and auxiliary verb:

I will

I'll

you will

you'll

he will
she will
it will

he'll
she'll
it'll

we will

we'll

they will

they'll

For negative sentences in the future perfect continuous tense, we contract with won't, like this:

I will not

I won't

you will not

you won't

|
|
|
|

he will not
she will not
it will not

he won't
she won't
it won't

we will not

we won't

they will not

they won't

How do we use the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?

We use the future perfect continuous tense to talk about a long action before some point in the future. Look at these examples:

I will have been working here for ten years next week.

He will be tired when he arrives. He will have been travelling for 24 hours.

Simple Present Tense

I sing

How do we make the Simple Present Tense?

subject

auxiliary verb

main verb

do

base

There are three important exceptions:

1.

For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary.

2.

For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb or es to the auxiliary.

3.

For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions and negatives.

Look at these examples with the main verb like:

subject
+

auxiliary verb

main verb

I, you, we, they

like

coffee.

He, she, it

likes

coffee.

I, you, we, they

do

not

like

coffee.

He, she, it

does

not

like

coffee.

Do

I, you, we, they

like

coffee?

Does

he, she, it

like

coffee?

Look at these examples with the main verb be. Notice that there is no auxiliary:

subject

main verb

am

French.

You, we, they

are

French.

He, she, it

is

French.

am

not

old.

You, we, they

are

not

old.

He, she, it

is

not

old.

Am

late?

Are

you, we, they

late?

Is

he, she, it

late?

How do we use the Simple Present Tense?

We use the simple present tense when:

the action is general

the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and future

the action is not only happening now

the statement is always true

John drives a taxi.

past

present

future

It is John's job to drive a taxi. He does it every day. Past, present and future.
Look at these examples:

I live in New York.

The Moon goes round the Earth.

John drives a taxi.

He does not drive a bus.

We do not work at night.

Do you play football?

Note that with the verb to be, we can also use the simple present tense for situations that are not general. We can use the simple
present tense to talk about now. Look at these examples of the verb "to be" in the simple present tense - some of them are general,
some of them arenow:

Am I right?
Tara is not at home.
You are happy.
past

present

future

The situation is now.

I am not fat.
Why are you so beautiful?
Ram is tall.
past

present

The situation is general. Past, present and future.

future

This page shows the use of the simple present tense to talk about
general events. But note that there are some other uses for the simple
present tense, for example in conditional or ifsentences, or to talk about
the future. You will learn about those later.

Present Continuous Tense

I am singing
We often use the present continuous tense in English. It is very different from the simple present tense, both in structure and in use.
In this lesson we look the structure and use of the present continuous tense, followed by a quiz to check your understanding:

Structure: how do we make the present continuous tense?

Use: when and why do we use the present continuous tense?

Spelling: how do we spell verbs with -ing for the present continuous tense?

Present Continuous Tense Quiz

Continuous tenses are also calledprogressive tenses. So the present

progressive tense is the same as the present continuous tense.

How do we make the Present Continuous Tense?

The structure of the present continuous tense is:
subject

auxiliary verb

+
be

main verb
base + ing

Look at these examples:

subject

auxiliary verb

main verb

am

speaking

to you.

You

are

reading

this.

She

is

not

staying

in London.

We

are

not

playing

football.

Is

he

watching

TV?

Are

they

waiting

for John?

How do we use the Present Continuous Tense?

We use the present continuous tense to talk about:

action happening now

action in the future

Present continuous tense for action happening now

a) for action happening exactly now

I am eating my lunch.

past

present

future

The action is happening now.

Look at these examples. Right now you are looking at this screen and at the same time...

...the pages are turning.

b) for action happening around now

...the candle is burning.

...the numbers are spinning.

The action may not be happening exactly now, but it is happening just before and just after now, and it is not permanent or habitual.

John is going out with Mary.

past

present

future

The action is happening around now.

Look at these examples:

Muriel is learning to drive.

I am living with my sister until I find an apartment.

Present continuous tense for the future

We can also use the present continuous tense to talk about the future - if we add a future word!! We must add (or understand from
the context) a future word. "Future words" include, for example, tomorrow, next year, in June, at Christmas etc. We only use the
present continuous tense to talk about the future when we have planned to do something before we speak. We have already made a
decision and a plan before speaking.

I am taking my exam next month.

past

present

future

!!!

A firm plan or programme exists now.

The action is in the future.

Look at these examples:

We're eating in a restaurant tonight. We've already booked the table..

They can play tennis with you tomorrow. They're not working.

When are you starting your new job?

In these examples, we have a firm plan or programme before speaking. The decision and plan were made before speaking.

How do we spell the Present Continuous Tense?

We make the present continuous tense by adding -ing to the base verb. Normally it's simple - we just add -ing. But sometimes we have
to change the word a little. Perhaps we double the last letter, or we drop a letter. Here are the rules to help you know how to spell the
present continuous tense.

Basic rule

Just add -ing to the base verb:

Exception 1

work

>

working

play

>

playing

assist

>

assisting

see

>

seeing

be

>

being

If the base verb ends in consonant + stressed vowel + consonant, double the last letter:
s
t
o
p
consonant
stressed
consonant
vowel
(vowels = a, e, i, o, u)
stop

>

stopping

run

>

running

begin

>

beginning

Note that this exception does not apply when the last syllable of the base verb is not stressed:
open
Exception 2

Exception 3

>

opening

If the base verb ends in ie, change the ie to y:

lie

>

lying

die

>

dying

If the base verb ends in vowel + consonant + e, omit the e:

come

>

coming

mistake

>

mistaking

Present Perfect Tense

I have sung
The present perfect tense is a rather important tense in English, but it gives speakers of some languages a difficult time. That is because
it uses concepts or ideas that do not exist in those languages. In fact, the structure of the present perfect tense is very simple. The
problems come with the use of the tense. In addition, there are some differences in usage between British and American English.
In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the present perfect, followed by a quiz to check your understanding:

Structure: how to make the present perfect tense

Use: when and why to use the present perfect tense

For and Since with the present perfect tense. What's the difference?

Present Perfect Quiz

The present perfect tense is really a very interesting tense, and a very
useful one. Try not to translate the present perfect tense into your
language. Just try to accept the concepts of this tense and learn to
"think" present perfect! You will soon learn to like the present perfect
tense!

How do we make the Present Perfect Tense?

The structure of the present perfect tense is:

subject

auxiliary verb

main verb

have

past participle

Here are some examples of the present perfect tense:

subject

auxiliary verb

main verb

have

seen

ET.

You

have

eaten

mine.

She

has

not

been

to Rome.

We

have

not

played

football.

Have

you

finished?

Have

they

done

it?

Contractions with the present perfect tense

When we use the present perfect tense in speaking, we
usually contract the subject and auxiliary verb. We also
sometimes do this when we write.

I have

I've

You have

You've

He has
She has
It has
John has
The car has

He's
She's
It's
John's
The car's

We have

We've

They have

They've

He's or he's??? Be careful! The 'scontraction is used for the auxiliary

verbs have and be. For example, "It's eaten" can mean:

It has eaten. [present perfect tense, active voice]

It is eaten. [present tense, passive voice]

It is usually clear from the context.

Here are some examples:

I've finished my work.

John's seen ET.

They've gone home.

How do we use the Present Perfect Tense?

This tense is called the present perfect tense. There is always a connection with the past and with the present. There are basically
three uses for the present perfect tense:
1.

experience

2.

change

3.

continuing situation

1. Present perfect tense for experience

We often use the present perfect tense to talk about experience from the past. We are not interested in when you did something. We
only want to know if you did it:

I have seen ET.

He has lived in Bangkok.
Have you been there?
We have never eaten caviar.

past

present

future

!!!

The action or state was in the past.

In my head, I have a memory now.

Connection with past: the event was in the past.

Connection with present: in my head, now, I have a memory of the event; I knowsomething about the event; I have experience of
it.

2. Present perfect tense for change

We also use the present perfect tense to talk about a change or new information:

I have bought a car.

past

present

Last week I didn't have a car.

Now I have a car.

future

John has broken his leg.

past

present

Yesterday John had a good leg.

Now he has a bad leg.

future

Has the price gone up?

past

present

Was the price $1.50 yesterday?

Is the price $1.70 today?

future

The police have arrested the killer.

past

present

Yesterday the killer was free.

Now he is in prison.

future

Connection with past: the past is the opposite of the present.

Connection with present: the present is the opposite of the past.

Americans do not use the present perfect tense so much as British

speakers. Americans often use the past tense instead. An American
might say "Did you have lunch?", where a British person would say
"Have you had lunch?"

3. Present perfect tense for continuing situation

We often use the present perfect tense to talk about a continuing situation. This is a state that started in the past and continues in
the present (and will probably continue into the future). This is a state (not an action). We usually use for or since with this structure.

I have worked here since June.

He has been ill for 2 days.
How long have you known Tara?
past

present

future

The situation started in the past.

It continues up to now.

(It will probably continue into the

future.)

Connection with past: the situation started in the past.

Connection with present: the situation continues in the present.

For & Since with Present Perfect Tense

We often use for and since with the present perfect tense.

We use for to talk about a period of time - 5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years.

We use since to talk about a point in past time - 9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday.

for

since

a period of time

a point in past time

x------------

20 minutes

6.15pm

three days

Monday

6 months

January

4 years

1994

2 centuries

1800

a long time

I left school

ever

the beginning of time

etc

etc

Here are some examples:

I have been here for 20 minutes.

I have been here since 9 o'clock.

John hasn't called for 6 months.

John hasn't called since February.

He has worked in New York for a long time.

He has worked in New York since he left school.

For can be used with all tenses. Sinceis usually used with perfect tenses
only.

Present Perfect Continuous Tense

I have been singing

How do we make the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

The structure of the present perfect continuous tense is:
subject

auxiliary verb

+
have

auxiliary verb

+
been

main verb
base + ing

has
Here are some examples of the present perfect continuous tense:

subject

auxiliary verb

auxiliary verb

main verb

have

been

waiting

for one hour.

You

have

been

talking

too much.

It

has

not

been

raining.

We

have

not

been

playing

football.

Have

you

been

seeing

her?

Have

they

been

doing

their homework?

Contractions

When we use the present perfect continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and the first auxiliary. We also sometimes
do this in informal writing.

I have been

I've been

You have been

You've been

He has been
She has been
It has been
John has been
The car has been

He's been
She's been
It's been
John's been
The car's been

We have been

We've been

They have been

They've been

Here are some examples:

I've been reading.

The car's been giving trouble.

We've been playing tennis for two hours.

How do we use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

This tense is called the present perfect continuous tense. There is usually a connection with the present or now. There are basically
two uses for the present perfect continuous tense:

1. An action that has just stopped or recently stopped

We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and stopped recently. There is usually a
result now.

I'm tired because I've been running.

past

present
!!!

Recent action.

I'm tired

Why is the grass wet

[now]

Result now.

because I've been running.

[now]

? Has it been raining?

future

You don't understand

[now]

because you haven't been listening.

2. An action continuing up to now

We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and is continuing now. This is often used
with for or since.

I have been reading for 2 hours.

past

present

Action started in past.

Action is continuing now.

I have been reading for 2 hours. [I am still reading now.]

We've been studying since 9 o'clock. [We're still studying now.]

How long have you been learning English? [You are still learning now.]

We have not been smoking. [And we are not smoking now.]

future

For and Since with Present Perfect Continuous Tense

We often use for and since with the present perfect tense.

We use for to talk about a period of time - 5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years.

We use since to talk about a point in past time - 9 o'clock, 1st January, Monday.

for

since

a period of time

a point in past time

x

20 minutes

6.15pm

three days

Monday

6 months

January

4 years

1994

2 centuries

1800

a long time

I left school

ever

the beginning of time

etc

etc

Here are some examples:

I have been studying for 3 hours.

I have been watching TV since 7pm.

Tara hasn't been feeling well for 2 weeks.

Tara hasn't been visiting us since March.

He has been playing football for a long time.

He has been living in Bangkok since he left school.

For can be used with all tenses. Sinceis usually used with perfect
tenses only.