[Link].

net

et
.n
ar
riy
si
.a
w
w
w

[Link] [Link]
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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.

et
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:

.n
subject auxiliary verb main verb

+ I, you, we, they like

ar coffee.
riy
He, she, it likes coffee.

I, you, we, they do not like coffee.

-
si

He, she, it does not like coffee.

.a

Do I, you, we, they like coffee?

?
Does he, she, it like coffee?
w

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

subject main verb

I am French.

+ You, we, they are French.

He, she, it is French.

I am not old.

- You, we, they are not old.

He, she, it is not old.

? Am I late?

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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.

et
past present future

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

  I live in New York.

 The Moon goes round the Earth.
si

 John drives a taxi.

 He does not drive a bus.
.a

 We do not work at night.

 Do you play football?
w

Note that with the verb to be, we can also use the simple present tense for situations that are not
w

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 are now:
w

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

The situation is now.

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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

The situation is general. Past, present and future.

This page shows the use of the simple present

tense to talk about general events. But note

et
that there are some other uses for the simple
present tense, for example in conditional or if

.n
sentences, or to talk about the future. You
will learn about those later.

ar
riy
si
.a
w
w
w

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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, follwed 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

et
.n
Continuous tenses are also called
progressive tenses. So the present
progressive tense is the same as the present
continuous tense.

ar
riy
How do we make the Present Continuous Tense?
The structure of the present continuous tense is:
si

subject + auxiliary verb + main verb

.a

be base + ing
w

Look at these examples:

w

subject auxiliary verb main verb

w

+ I 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?

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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.

et
past present future

.n
The action is happening now.

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

...the pages are turning. ...the candle is burning. ...the numbers are spinning.
.a

b) for action happening around now

w

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.
w

John is going out with Mary.

w

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.

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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

!!!

et
A firm plan or programme exists
The action is in the future.
now.

.n
Look at these examples:

 

ar
We're eating in a restaurant tonight. We've already booked the table..
They can play tennis with you tomorrow. They're not working.
riy
 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.
si

How do we spell the Present Continuous Tense?

.a
w

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.
w
w

Basic rule Just add -ing to the base verb:

work > working

play > playing

assist > assisting

see > seeing

be > being

Exception 1
If the base verb ends in consonant + stressed vowel + consonant, double the last letter:
s t o p
[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

stressed
consonant 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 > opening

et
Exception 2 If the base verb ends in ie, change the ie to y:

lie > lying

.n
die > dying

ar
Exception 3 If the base verb ends in vowel + consonant + e, omit the e:

come > coming

riy
mistake > mistaking
si
.a
w
w
w

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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

et
 For and Since with the present perfect tense. What's the difference?
 Present Perfect Quiz

.n
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
ar
riy
of this tense and learn to "think" present
perfect! You will soon learn to like the
present perfect tense!
si

How do we make the Present Perfect Tense?

.a

The structure of the present perfect tense is:

w

subject + auxiliary verb + main verb

w

have past participle

w

Here are some examples of the present perfect tense:

subject auxiliary verb main verb

+ I have seen ET.

+ You have eaten mine.

- She has not been to Rome.

- We have not played football.

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

? 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
He's or he's??? Be careful! The 's
You have You've contraction is used for the auxiliary verbs
have and be. For example, "It's eaten" can

et
He has He's mean:
She has She's
It has It's  It has eaten. [present perfect tense,

.n
John has John's  active voice]
The car has The car's  It is eaten. [present tense, passive

ar
voice]
We have We've
It is usually clear from the context.
riy
They have They've

Here are some examples:

si

 I've finished my work.

 John's seen ET.
.a


 They've gone home.
w

How do we use the Present Perfect Tense?

w

This tense is called the present perfect tense. There is always a connection with the past and with
w

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.

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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

!!!
The action or state was in the In my head, I have a memory
past. 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 know something
about the event; I have experience of it.

et
2. Present perfect tense for change

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

I have bought a car.

ar
riy
past present future

- +
si

Last week I didn't have a car. Now I have a car.

.a
w

John has broken his leg.

w

past present future

+ -
w

Yesterday John had a good leg. Now he has a bad leg.

Has the price gone up?

past present future

+ -
Was the price $1.50 yesterday? Is the price $1.70 today?

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

The police have arrested the killer.

past present future

- +
Yesterday the killer was free. Now he is in prison.
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

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

.n
lunch?"

3. Present perfect tense for continuing situation

ar
We often use the present perfect tense to talk about a continuing situation. This is a state that started
riy
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.
si

I have worked here since June.

He has been ill for 2 days.
.a

How long have you known Tara?

w

past present future

w
w

(It will probably continue into

The situation started in the past. It continues up to now.
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.

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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

et
a long time I left school

.n
ever the beginning of time

etc etc

Here are some examples: ar

riy
  I have been here for 20 minutes.
 I have been here since 9 o'clock.
si

 John hasn't called for 6 months.

 John hasn't called since February.
 He has worked in New York for a long time.
.a

 He has worked in New York since he left school.

w

For can be used with all tenses. Since is

usually used with perfect tenses only.
w
w

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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 + auxiliary verb + main verb

have
been base + ing
has

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

.n
subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb

+ I have been waiting for one hour.

+ You have been

ar
talking too much.
riy
- It has not been raining.
si

- We have not been playing football.

.a

? Have you been seeing her?

w

? Have they been doing their homework?

w

Contractions
w

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 He's been

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

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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:

et
1. An action that has just stopped or recently stopped

.n
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. ar

riy
pas
t present future
si

!!!
.a

Recent action. Result now.

[now]
w

 I'm tired because I've been running.

[now]
 Why is the grass wet ? Has it been raining?
[now]
w

 You don't understand because you haven't been listening.

2. An action continuing up to now

w

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 future

Action started in past. Action is continuing now.

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

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

 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.]

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

et
20 minutes 6.15pm

.n
three days Monday

6 months January

4 years 1994
ar
riy
2 centuries 1800

a long time I left school

si

ever the beginning of time

.a

etc etc
w

Here are some examples:

w

  I have been studying for 3 hours.

 I have been watching TV since 7pm.
w

 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. Since is

usually used with perfect tenses only.

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

Simple Past Tense

I sang

The simple past tense is sometimes called the preterit tense. We can use several tenses to talk
about the past, but the simple past tense is the one we use most often.

In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the simple past tense, followed by a quiz to
check your understanding:

How do we make the Simple Past Tense?

To make the simple past tense, we use:

et
 past form only

.n
 or
 auxiliary did + base form

ar
Here you can see examples of the past form and base form for irregular verbs and regular verbs:
riy
V1 V2 V3
base past past participle

work worked worked

si

regular The past form for all

explode exploded exploded
verb regular verbs ends in -ed.
like liked liked
.a

The past form for

go went gone
irregular irregular verbs is
w

see saw seen

verb variable. You need to
sing sang sung
learn it by heart.
w

You do not need the past participle

w

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

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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

auxiliary verb + subject + main verb

did 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

I went to school.
+
You worked very hard.

et
She did not go with me.
-
We did not work yesterday.

.n
Did you go to London?
?
Did they work
ar
at home?
riy
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:
si

subject main verb

.a

I, he/she/it was here.

+
w

You, we, they were in London.

w

I, he/she/it was not there.

-
w

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:

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

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:

et
I lived in Bangkok for 10 years.
The Jurassic period lasted about 62 million years.

.n
We did not sing at the concert.
Did you watch TV last night?
past present
ar future
riy
The action is in the past.
si

Notice that it does not matter how long ago the event is: it can be a few minutes or seconds in the
.a

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:
w

  the event is in the past

 the event is completely finished
w

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

w

In general, if we say the time or place of 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.

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

 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 was cold. The door opened
and James Bond entered. He took off his coat, which was very 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

et
tense, for example in conditional or if
sentences.

.n
ar
riy
si
.a
w
w
w

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

Past Continuous Tense

I was singing

The past continuous tense is an important tense in English. We use it to say what we were in
the middle of doing at a particular moment in the past.

In this lesson we look at the structure and the use of the past continuous tense, followed by a quiz
to check your understanding:

How do we make the Past Continuous Tense?

The structure of the past continuous tense is:

et
subject + auxiliary verb BE + main verb

.n
conjugated in simple past tense present participle

was
were ar base + ing
riy
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
si

example sentences with the past continuous tense:

.a

subject auxiliary verb main verb

w

+ I was watching TV.

w

+ You were working hard.

w

- He, she, it was not helping Mary.

- We were not joking.

? Were you being silly?

? Were they playing football?

The spelling rules for adding ing to make the past continuous tense are the same
as for the present continuous tense.

How do we use the Past Continuous Tense?

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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

et
are talking about. Look at these examples:

 I was working at 10pm last night.

.n

 They were not playing football at 9am this morning.
 What were you doing at 10pm last night?

ar
 What were you doing when he arrived?
 She was cooking when I telephoned her.
 We were having dinner when it started to rain.
riy
 Ram went home early because it was snowing.
si

Some verbs cannot be used in

continuous/progressive tenses.
.a

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
w

past continuous tense and then moves into the simple past tense. Here is an example:
w

" James Bond was driving through town. It was raining. The wind was blowing hard. Nobody
was walking in the streets. Suddenly, Bond saw the killer in a telephone box..."
w

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 a short action that happens in
the middle of the long action. We can join the two ideas with when 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

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

past present future
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.

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

.n
We use:

  when + short action (simple past tense)

 while + long action (past continuous tense)

ar
riy
There are four basic combinations:

I was walking past the car when it exploded.

si

When the car exploded I was walking past it.

.a

The car exploded while I was walking past it.

w

While I was walking past the car it exploded.

w

Notice that the long action and short action are relative.

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

w

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

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

Past Perfect Tense

I had sung

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

In this lesson we look at:

How do we make the Past Perfect Tense?

The structure of the past perfect tense is:

et
subject + auxiliary verb HAVE + main verb

.n
conjugated in simple past tense past participle

ar
had V3
riy
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:
si

subject auxiliary verb main verb

.a

+ I had finished my work.

w

+ You had stopped before me.

w

- She had not gone to school.

w

- We had not left.

? Had you arrived?

? Had they eaten dinner?

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

I had I'd

you had you'd

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

he had he'd
she had she'd
it had it'd

we had we'd

they had they'd

The 'd contraction is also used for the

auxiliary verb would. For example, we'd can
mean:

 We had

et
 or
 We would

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

 

We had arrived (past participle)
We would arrive (base)
ar
riy
It is always clear from the context.
si

How do we use the Past Perfect Tense?

.a

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

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

The train had left when we arrived.

w

past present future

Train leaves in past at 9am.

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.

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

 "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 present perfect tense

had | have |
done | done |
>| >|

past now future past now future

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

et
 "You are too late. The train has

left." Later, you tell your friends:

.n
 "We were too late. The train had left."

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

 He told us that the train had left.

si


 I thought I had met her before, but I was wrong.
 He explained that he had closed the window because of the rain.
.a

 I wondered if I had been there before.

 I asked them why they had not finished.
w
w
w

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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:

auxiliary verb auxiliary verb

subject + + + main verb
HAVE BE
conjugated in simple past present
past participle

et
tense participle

had been base + ing

.n
For negative sentences in the past perfect continuous tense, we insert not after the first auxiliary

ar
verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and first auxiliary verb. Look at these
example sentences with the past perfect continuous tense:
riy
subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb

+ I had been working.

si

+ You had been playing tennis.

.a

- It had not been working well.

w

- We had not been expecting her.

w

?
w

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 he'd been

she had been she'd been

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

it had 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 waiting for
two hours.

et
Ram had been waiting for two hours when I arrived.

.n
past present future
Ram starts waiting in past at

9
9am.

11 ar
riy
I arrive in past at 11am.
si

Here are some more examples:

.a

  John was very tired. He had been running.

 I could smell cigarettes. Somebody had been smoking.
w

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

 Had the pilot been drinking before the crash?

w

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 present perfect continuous tense

had | | | have |
been | | | been |
doing | | | doing |
>>>> | | | >>>> |

past now future past now future

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

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

 "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."

et
.n
ar
riy
si
.a
w
w
w

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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.

How do we make the Simple Future Tense?

The structure of the simple future tense is:

et
subject + auxiliary verb WILL + main verb

.n
invariable base

will V1

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

subject auxiliary verb main verb

+
.a

I will open the door.

+
w

You will finish before me.

-
w

She will not be at school tomorrow.

w

- 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

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

he will he'll
she will she'll
it will 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

et
he will not he won't
she will not she won't
it will not it won't

.n
we will not we won't

they will not they won't

ar
riy
How do we use the Simple Future Tense?
No Plan
si

We use the simple future tense when there is no plan or decision to do something before we speak.
.a

We make the decision spontaneously at the time of speaking. Look at these examples:

  Hold on. I'll get a pen.

w

 We will see what we can do to help you.

 Maybe we'll stay in and watch television tonight.
w

In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The decision is made at the time
w

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.

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

  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

et
other tenses or expressions, such as the
present continuous tense or going to.

.n
ar
riy
si
.a
w
w
w

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

Future Continuous Tense

I will be singing

How do we make the Future Continuous Tense?

The structure of the future continuous tense is:

auxiliary verb auxiliary verb

subject + + + main verb
WILL BE
present
invariable invariable

et
participle

will be base + ing

.n
For negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we insert not between will and be. For

ar
question sentences, we exchange the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the
future continuous tense:
riy
subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb

+ I will be working at 10am.

si

+ You will be lying on a beach tomorrow.

.a

- She will not be using the car.

w

- We will not be having dinner at home.

w

?
w

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 he'll
she will she'll
it will it'll

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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 he won't

she will not she won't
it will not it won't

et
we will not we won't

they will not they won't

.n
ar
We sometimes use shall instead of will,
especially for I and we.
riy
How do we use the Future Continuous Tense?
The future continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the future. The action will
si

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:
.a

At 4pm tomorrow, I will be working.

w

past present future

w

4pm
w

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.

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

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:

auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main

subject + + +

et
WILL HAVE verb
invariable invariable past participle

.n
will have V3

Look at these example sentences in the future perfect tense:

ar
riy
subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb

+ I will have finished by 10am.

si

+ You will have forgotten me by then.

.a

- She will not have gone to school.

w

-
w

We will not have left.

?
w

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 he'll have he'll've

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

she will have she'll have she'll've
it will have it'll have 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 of will,

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

et
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

.n
you arrive, the train will have left.

ar
The train will have left when you arrive.
riy
past present future
Train leaves in future at 9am.
si

9 9.15
.a

You arrive in future at 9.15am.

w

Look at some more examples:

w

  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.
w

 "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

| will |
have | have |
done | done |
>| >|

past now future past now future

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

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:

auxiliary auxiliary auxiliary main

subject + verb WILL + verb HAVE + verb BE + verb
present
invariable invariable past participle

et
participle

will have been base + ing

.n
For negative sentences in the future perfect continuous tense, we insert not between will and have.

ar
For question sentences, we exchange the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the
future perfect continuous tense:
riy
subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb

+ I will have been working for four hours.

si

+ You will have been travelling for two days.

.a

- She will not have been using the car.

w

- We will not have been waiting long.

w

?
w

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 he'll
she will she'll

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group
 [Link]

ENGLISH GRAMMAR, TENSES

it will 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 he won't

she will not she won't

et
it will not it won't

we will not we won't

.n
they will not they won't

How do we use the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?

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

  I will have been working here for ten years next week.
 He will be tired when he arrives. He will have been traveling for 24 hours.
.a
w
w
w

[Link] [Link]
Active English Group