Complete the chart with the English tenses: structure and use. Add examples.
STRUCTURE USE
PRESENT SIMPLE PRESENT SIMPLE
+ :) + verb-present + complement To express habits, general truths, repeated actions or
unchanging situations, emotions and wishes:
I smoke (habit); I work in London (unchanging
-. :) + DON’T/DOESN’T + verb base form + compl. situation); London is a large city (general truth)
To give instructions or directions:
You walk for two hundred meters, then you turn left.
? DO/DOES + :) + verb base form + compl. + ?
To express fixed arrangements, present or future:
Yes, :) + do/does / No, :) + don’t/doesn’t Your exam starts at 09.00
To express future time, after some conjunctions: after,
when, before, as soon as, until:
? WH*+ DO/DOES + :) + verb base form + compl. + ?
He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.
*Exception with Who
PRESENT CONTINUOUS PRESENT CONTINUOUS
+ subject + To be + Verb + Ing + Complement To describe an action that is taking place right
now:
-. Subject + To be + Not + Verb + Ing + Complement You are using the Internet. You are studying
English grammar.
? To be + Subject + Verb + Ing + Complement + ? To describe a trend or action that is happening
Yes, Subject + To be. / No, Subject + To be. today:
? WH + To be + Subject + Verb + Ing + Complement + Are you still working for the same company? More and
more people are becoming vegetarian.
?
to describe a future action or event that is
already scheduled:
We're going on holiday tomorrow. I'm meeting my
boyfriend tonight. Are they visiting you next winter?
to describe a temporary situation or event:
He usually plays the drums, but he's playing bass guitar
tonight. The weather forecast was good, but it's raining
at the moment.
with "always, forever, constantly", to describe
and emphasize a succession of repeated
actions:
Harry and Sally are always arguing! You're constantly
complaining about your mother-in-law!
PRESENT PERFECT PRESENT PERFECT
An action or situation that started in the past
+ subject + Have/Has + Past participle + and continues in the present.
Complement I have lived in Bristol since 1984 (= and I still do.)
An action performed during a period that has
-. Subject + Have/Has + Not + Past participle + not yet finished.
Complement She has been to the cinema twice this week (= and the
week isn't over yet.)
? Have/Has + Subject + Past participle + Complement A repeated action in an unspecified period
between the past and now.
+?
We have visited Portugal several times.
Yes, Subject + Have/Has. / No, Subject + Haven´t
An action that was completed in the very
/ Hasn´t. recent past, expressed by 'just'.
I have just finished my work.
? WH + Have/Has + Subject + Past participle + An action when the time is not important.
Complement + ? He has read 'War and Peace'. (= the result of his
reading is important)
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS
+ subject + Have/Has + Been + Verb + Ing + To express the sense of the continuity of an
Complement action that has begun in the past and that still
lasts in the present or that has just ended:
-. Subject + Have/Has + Not + Been + Verb + Ing + She has been waiting for you for over an hour. Have
Complement you been waiting long?
? Have/Has + Subject + Been + Verb + Ing +
Complement + ?
Yes, Subject + Have/Has. / No, Subject + Haven´t
/ Hasn´t.
? WH + Have/Has + Subject + Been + Verb + Ing +
Complement + ?
PRESENT- VERB TO BE PRESENT- VERB TO BE
indicate profession:
+ subject + Verb To be + Complement She is a doctor
He is a teacher.
-. Subject + Verb To be + Not + Complement To express feeling:
I am angry
? Verb To be + Subject + Complement + ? She is in love
Yes, Subject + To be. / No, Subject + To be. Indicate age:
I am 19 years old.
? WH + Verb To be + Subject + Complement + ?
Indicate an adjective:
She is honest and funny
STRUCTURE USE
SIMPLE PAST SIMPLE PAST
+ subject + Verb + ed + Complement We use the simple past to talk about
completed actions in the past:
-. Subject + Didn´t + Verb + Complement I bought a new camera yesterday.
Raul didn´t come to work last week.
? Did + Subject + Complement + ?
Yes, Subject + Did. / No, Subject + Didn´t.
? WH + Did + Subject + Complement + ?
PAST CONTINUOUS PAST CONTINUOUS
+ subject + Was/Were + Verb + Ing + Complement We use past continuous to describe actions
in progress at a particular time in the past:
-. Subject + Was/Were + Not + Verb + Ing + I was dancing at 10:00 this morning.
Complement She was working at 7:00 this night
We can also use past continuous verbs
? Was/Were + Subject + Verb + Ing + Complement + together to show that two actions were
? happening at the same time:
Yes, Subject + Was/Were. / No, Subject + Wasn´t / I was cooking while Steve was doing his
Weren´t. homework.
? WH + Was/Were + Subject + Verb + Ing +
Complement + ?
PAST PERFECT PAST PERFECT
+ subject + Had + Past participle + Complement To express actions or events that began in
the past and that is prior to another action
-. Subject + Had + Not + Past participle + also in the past:
Complement My father had just left when you arrived.
We use the past perfect for actions that
? Had + Subject + Past participle + Complement + ? occurred before a specific time in the past:
Yes, Subject + Had. / No, Subject + Hadn´t. I had already done the homework before 12:00
pm.
? WH + Had + Subject + Past participle + Complement
+?
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
+ subject + Had + Been + Verb + Ing + Complement Express an action that began at a specific
time in the past and continued to another
-. Subject + Had + Not + Been + Verb + Ing + point in the past or until another action
Complement took place:
Raul was stressed by the final exams until I
? Had + Subject + Been + Verb + Ing + Complement + introduced them and passed them with 9.
? Express an action that is causing another
Yes, Subject + Had. / No, Subject + Hadn´t. action to take place in the past:
I had been studying for days when I had English
? WH + Had + Subject + Been + Verb + Ing + exams.
Complement + ?
STRUCTURE USE
FUTURE SIMPLE FUTURE SIMPLE
Voluntary actions:
+ subject + Will + Verb base form + Complement She won´t participate with the class; Will you help
me?
-. Subject + Won´t + Verb base form + Complement To express a promise:
When I am doctor, I will cure the cancer.
? Will + Subject + Verb base form Complement + ? To express a prediction:
Yes, Subject + Did. / No, Subject + Didn´t. It will rain; I won´t be a great party.
To express a prediction based on personal
? WH + Will + Subject + Verb base form +
opinions or experiences:
Complement + ?
You think united won´t win the game
To express actions decided at the moment
of speaking:
I will have a class now.
FUTURE CONTINUOUS FUTURE CONTINUOUS
To express the action that will be in
+ subject + Will + be + Verb Present participle + Ing + development in the future and that will be
Complement interrupted:
Will it be raining when I leave?
-. Subject + Will + Not + be + Verb Present participle To express actions at a specific time in the
+ Ing + Complement future:
We will still be working at 10 o´clock tomorrow
? Will + Subject + be + Verb Present participle + Ing + day.
Complement + ?
Yes, Subject + Will. / No, Subject + Won´t.
? WH + Will + Subject + be + Verb Present participle +
Ing + Complement + ?
FUTURE PERFECT FUTURE PERFECT
+ subject + Will + Have/Has + Past participle + The future perfect tense refers to a
Complement completed action in the future. When we
use this tense, we are projecting ourselves
-. Subject + Will + Not + Have/Has + Past participle + forward into the future and looking back at
Complement an action that will be completed sometime
? Will + Subject + Have/Has + Past participle + later than now. It is most often used with a
Complement + ? time expression.
Yes, Subject + Will. / No, Subject + Won´t. I will have been here for six months on June 5rd.
? WH + Will + Subject + Have/Has + Past participle +
Complement + ?
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
We use the future perfect continuous to
+ subject + Will + Have/Has + Been + Verb + Ing + show that something is going to continue
Complement until another action or time in the future:
Will you have been working together for long
-. Subject + Will + Not + Have/Has + Been + Verb + before you get married?
Ing + Complement To express cause and effect in the future:
Raul´s English will be perfect when he moves to
? Will + Subject + Have/Has + Been + Verb + Ing + England next year as he will have been studying it
Complement + ? for three years.
Yes, Subject + Will. / No, Subject + Won´t.
? WH + Will + Subject + Have/Has + Been + Verb + Ing
+ Complement + ?
FUTURE - BE GOING TO FUTURE - BE GOING TO
Indicate intention to do something:
+ subject + be + Going to + Verb + Complement Sophia is going to take an English class.
To express something is about to happen:
-. subject + be + Going to + Verb + Complement Get back! the boom is going to explode.
To express a prediction based on present
? Be + subject + Going to + Verb + Complement + ? evidence:
Look at those black clouds it is going to rain.
Yes, Subject + Auxiliary . / No, Subject +
To express future plans, decide before the
Auxiliary.
moment of speaking (prior plans)
She is going to visit my father's next weekend
? WH + Be + subject + Going to + Verb + Complement
+?