Verb Tenses

1 present
1.1 perfect
Used to show that an action has (had/ will have) finished before a definite time or a
second action. Rules: open questions, Have you ever worked connect actions that
started in the past to the present, Yesbefore action repeated itself for now exactly
when is not important, I have written many reports.. action happened before now at
an unspecified time in the past, I have already.. action is now over I have
worked.for Key words: already, ever, just, this week, since (+point of time), so far,
for, yet, how long

1.1.1 simple
1.1.1.1 active
A: Hes washed it. Q: Has he washed it? N: He hasnt washed it.

1.1.1.2 passive
A: Its been washed. Has it been washed? N: It hasnt been washed.

1.1.2 continuous
Rules: to explain a situation Sarah has black ink all over. for actions repeated over a
period of time Does your department have training sessions here often? Oh yes,
every month to emphasize the length of an action (progressive) and show that it
started in the past and has resently (just) stopped or is still true now Ive been
working for over ten hours. Now its time for a break. to show that it has been a long
time I have been working here for over 2 years. to ask or say how long something
has been happening How long have you been working for this company? Key words:
how long, since, for

1.1.2.1 active
A: Hes been washing the car. Q: Has he been washing the car? N: Hes not been
washing the car.

1.1.2.2 passive
Passive not used in English

1.2 continuous
Not used with abstract verbs (verbs of thought, emotion, possession, sense or
auxiliaries Rules: Used for temporary actions going on now. We are having a meeting
right now. The action should be important enough to comment on The action must
have a beginning and an end! Key Words: this week, now, presently, today, at the
moment

1.2.1 active
A: Hes washing it. Q: Is he washing it? N: He isnt washing it.

1.2.2 passive
A: Its being washed. Q: Is it being washed? N: Its not being washed.

1.3 simple
Used for repeated actions or general facts. present facts, repeated actions in the
present, timetables Key Words: usually, everyday, often, always, sometimes,
everyweek

1.3.1 active
A: He washes the car. N: He doesnt wash the car. Q: does he wash the car?

1.3.2 passive
A: Its washed. Q: Is it washed? N: Its not washed.

2 future
2.1 simple
Used for repeated actions or general facts. Rules: future facts! repeated actions in
the future! consequence of an action! unplanned/spontaneous Key Words: usually,
tomorrow, in 2020, when I retire, next week

2.1.1 planned
2.1.1.1 active
A: Im going to wash the car. Q: Are you going to wash the car? N: Im not going to
wash the car.

2.1.1.2 passive
A: The car is going to be washed. Q: Is the car going to be washed? N: The car isnt
going to be washed.

2.1.2 unplanned
Subject+will+1st form of the verb

2.1.2.1 active
A: Ill (I will) wash the car. Q: Will you wash the car? N: I wont (will not) wash the car.

2.1.2.2 passive
A: The car will be washed. Q: Will the car be washed? N: The car wont be washed.

2.2 continuous
Rules: action will be going on at a definite time in the future I will be working on the
report when he arrives tomorrow. Key Words: by the time.Present Simple (in future
time clauses)

2.3 perfect
Rules: action will be completet befor another action or tim in the future I will have
finished the report by the time he arrives tomorrow. Key Words: before+Present
Simple (in future time clauses) by this time+ point or tim in the future by the
time+Present Simple (in future time clauses) after+Future Perfect (in future time
clauses) when+Present Simple (in future time clauses)

2.3.1 simple
Used for repeated actions or general facts.

2.3.1.1 active
A: I will have washed the ca 500 times in March. Q: Will you have washed the car 500
times in March? N: I wont have washed the car 500 times in February.

2.3.1.2 passive
A: The car will have been washed 500 times in March. Q: Will the car have been
washed 500 times in March? N: The car wint have been washed 500 times in
February.

2.3.2 continuous
A: I will have been washing that car for the years this june. Q: Will you have been
washing that car for the years in March? N: I wont have been washing that car for
five years in March.

3 past
3.1 simple
Used for repeated actions or general facts. Rules: past facts! repeated action in the
past! action is over! definite time in the past! Key Words: usually, yesterday, always,
when I was a child, last week, sometimes,

3.1.1 active
A: He washed it. Q: Did he wash it? N: He didnt wash it.

3.1.2 passive
A: It was washed. Q: Was it washed? N: It wasnt washed.

3.2 continous
Not used for short dramatic actions Rules: for the past of the Present Progressive(this
time last week I was) to show that two actions were going on at the same time in
the past(While we were having a meeting Jane was finishing the report) for an action
that was interrupted by another in the past (When John arrived) to show that an
action in the past went on for a longer period of time or was repeated (I was working
on the report all afternoon) for indirect speech (She said they were having) to say
that someone was in the middle of doing sth at a certain time in the past Key Words:
by the time+present simple, at this time+point of time in the future,while,
when+past simple

3.2.1 active
A: He was washing the car. Q: Was he washing the car? N: He wasnt washing the car.

3.2.2 passive
A: It was being washed. Q: Was it being washed? N: It wasnt being washed.

3.3 perfect
Used to show that an action has (had/ will have) finished before a definite time or a
second action. Rules: to change the order of events (He asked for the report after I
had finished it. action was completed before another action or time in the past (I had
finished the report by the time he arrived) Key Words: before+past simple,
until+point of time in the past, by the time+past simple,when+past
simple,after+past perfect

3.3.1 simple
3.3.1.1 active
A: Hed (he had) washed it. Q: Had he washed it? N: He hadnt washed it. Normally
part of a bigger sentence,

3.3.1.2 passive
A: Itd (it had) been washed. Q: Had it been washed? N: It hadnt been washed.

3.3.2 continuous
Rules: as the past of the Present Perfect Progressive, PresentPP: John still isnt here?
How long you have been waiting for him? PastPP: How long had you been waiting for
John before he arrived? to emphasize (betonen) to show that it was a long time I had
been waiting for him over 50 minutes before John showed up. to emphasize a length
of an action and show that it started in the past and had been going on before a past
action (Past Perfect) He had been working for a company for over twenty years when
he retired. Key Words: how long, for, before

3.3.2.1 active
A: Itd been raining. Q: Had it been raining? N: It hadnt been raining. Normally part of
a bigger sentence.

3.3.2.2 passive
Passive not used in English

4 conditionals
4.1 zero(certain)
A: If it rains, the road becomes wet. Q: If it rains, does the road become wet? N: If it
doesnt rain, people wear sunglasses. If present tense, present tense.

4.2 first(likely)
A: If it rains, drivers will slow down. Q: If it rains, will drivers slow down? N: If it does
not rain, drivers will go faster. If present tense, will/going to

4.3 second(likely)
A: If it rained, my clothe would be ruined. Q: If it rained, would my clothe be ok? N: If
it didnt rain, my clothe would be ok. If past simple, continuous, would

4.4 third(impossible)
If it had rained on Friday, it would have ruined the carnival. Q: If it had rained on
Friday, would we have gone out? N: If it had not rained on Friday, we would have had
a picnic. If past perfect, would have

5 modals
5.1 present
5.1.1 will
5.1.2 shall
A: I shall wash the car. Q: Shall I wash the car? (Advice) N: I shall not wash the car.

5.1.3 can
A: I can wash the car. Q: Can you wash the car? N: I cant wash the car.

5.1.4 may
A: I may wash the car. Q: May I wash the car? Permission (Erlaubnis) N: I may not
wash the car.

5.1.5 must
A: I must wash the car. Q: Must I wash the car? Permission not to do it? N: I must not
wash the car.

5.2 past
5.2.1 would
A: Id (I would) wash the car. Q: Would I wash the car? N: I woulnt wash the car.

5.2.2 should
A: I should wash the car. Q: Should I wash the car? (Advice) N: I shouldnt wash the
car.

5.2.3 could
A: I could wash the car. Q. Could you wash the car? N: I couldt wash the car.

5.2.4 might
A: I might wash the car. Q: Might I wash the car? Permission N: I might not wash the
car.