The Simple Tenses

Simple Present Examples

1. General statements of fact. Expresses event or situation that exists at this moment,
have existed in the past and almost certainly will exist in the future.
The Earth is round.
The compound sentence consists of two or more independent clauses.
There are eight main parts of speech in English.
2. Expresses habitual or everyday activity.
I study English Grammar every morning.
y classes begin at eight.
I always come to class prepared.
!. Expresses event or situation that exists right now, at the moment of spea"ing.
I don't recognize you.
#he has a headache right now.
I need a dollar now.
Simple Past Examples
Expresses event or situation that began and ended at a particular time in the past
$anytime before now%.
I finished my homewor" last &riday.
It snowed yesterday again.
'ohn studied English verbs for ten days.
Simple Future Examples
Expresses event or situation that will happen at one particular time in the future
$anytime after now%.
will, shall or be going to is used to express future time.
use of Shall is more frequent in British than in American English
I am going to finish my homewor" tomorrow.
(e will post grammar wor"sheets on)line.
It will snow tonight again.
The Perfect Tenses
&orm* Have + past participle
,erfect Tenses give the idea that one event happens before another event or time.
Present Perfect
-ction is completed. The exact time is not important.
I have already eaten.
Past Perfect
.ne event happened before another event.
I had already eaten when he arrived.
Future Perfect
.ne event will happen before another event.
I will already have eaten when he arrived.
The Perfect Progressive (Continuous) Tenses
&orm* Have been !ing $present participle%
,erfect /ontinuous0,rogressive Tenses give the idea that one event is in progress right
before another event or time.
Present Perfect Progressive
I have been eating for fifteen minutes.
Past Perfect Progressive
I had been eating for fifteen minutes before he arrived.
Future Perfect Progressive
I will have been eating for fifteen minutes by the time he arrive.
The Progressive (continuous) Tenses
&orm* be !ing $present participle% Example* is sleeping, was sleeping, will be
sleeping
The /ontinuous Tenses give the idea that action0event is in progress during a
particular time.
Present Progressive (Present Continuous)
1. Expresses an activity that began in the recent past, is in progress at the moment of
spea"ing, and will probably end at some point in the future.
(e is writing an article right now.
It is raining heavily outside.
They are talking on a phone.
2. Expresses an activity of a general nature* something that is in progress today, this
wee", this month, this year, but it does not necessarily mean that this activity is in
progress at the moment of spea"ing.
(e is writing another article this month. not necessarily at this moment
This wee" we are learning #panish Tenses.
I am trying to improve my grades.
Past Progressive (Past Continuous)
1. 1oth actions occurred at the same time but one action was already in progress when
the other action occurred.
(e was writing an article when we arrived.
It was raining when accident happened.
They were talking on a phone when it began to rain.
2ast night at this time we were learning #panish Tenses.
2. ,ast /ontinuous is used in both parts of a sentence to show that both actions are in
progress simultaneously.
(e was writing an article while it was raining.
3hile we were learning #panish 4erbs, they were having a party.
It was raining while I was walking down the street.
!. #ometimes ,ast /ontinuous can be used interchangeably with #imple ,ast giving
almost the same meaning.
It rained yesterday. (imple !ast"
It was raining yesterday. (!ast #ontinuous"
Future Progressive (Future Continuous)
$uture %enses is not used in clauses beginning withwhen, while, unless, by the time,
as soon as, before, after and if
1. Expresses action that will be happening at a particular time in the future.
(e will be working when we arrive. (&'%E (we arrive( because of (when(
) not (we will arrive("
-t this time tomorrow, I will be learning English grammar.
2. Expresses the idea that two actions will be happening at the same time $,arallel
-ctions%.
3hile you are sleeping, I will be studying #panish Gammar. (&'%E (are
sleeping( because of (while("
(e will be writing an article while it is raining.(&'%E (is raining( because of
(while("
!. #ometimes there is no difference between the &uture /ontinuous and #imple
&uture.
#pring will come soon. (imple $uture"
#pring will be coming soon. ($uture #ontinuous"