VERBS

TENSE REVISION CHART

Verb form
Tense Use Example
(to play)
I play Present simple ▪ Regular activities - routine - habits ▪ Anne and Sophie play tennis on Saturday afternoons.
I am playing Present continuous ▪ Continuous action now or at the present time. ▪ Anne and Sophie are playing at the moment.
▪ Finished part of a continuous action ▪ So far they have played two sets.
▪ Completed actions in an unfinished period of time ▪ They have played several other matches this month.
Present Perfect Simple
I have played ▪ Recent events (no time mentioned) ▪ Their parents have just arrived.
▪ Past action with a result in the present. ▪ Sophie has broken her racket so she's got to change it.
▪ Experiences (no time mentioned) ▪ They have played in many tournaments.
I have been playing Present Perfect Continuous ▪ Actions begun in the past which continue today. ▪ They have been playing tennis since 2 pm.

I played Past Simple ▪ Finished actions at a specific time in the past. ▪ Last Saturday Sophie played in another tournament.
I was playing Past Continuous ▪ Continuous actions at a specific time in the past. ▪ At 2.30 pm they were starting the second set.
I had played Past Perfect Simple ▪ Actions before a specific time in the past. ▪ Before they arrived, two other people had played a match.
I had been playing Past Perfect Continuous ▪ Past continuous actions before a specific time in the past ▪ When their parents arrived, they were already playing.
▪ Predictions ▪ Sophie will win the match today.
I will play Future simple
▪ Spontaneous decisions or offers ▪ I'll lend you my tennis racket!
I will be playing Future continuous ▪ Future continuous actions ▪ Next Saturday they will be playing in another town.
I will have played Future perfect ▪ Completed future action. ▪ By September, they will have played 12 matches.
I will have been playing Future perfect continuous ▪ Continuous future action completed at a given time. ▪ At 4 pm Anne and Sophie will have been playing for 2 hours.
I would play Conditional Simple ▪ Probable action in an imaginary situation ▪ I would play tennis if I had a racket.
▪ Anne would be playing tennis if you came on a Saturday
I would be playing Conditional Continuous ▪ Continuous action in an imaginary situation.
afternoon.
I would have played Conditional Perfect ▪ Speculating about hypothetical situations in the past. ▪ I would have played yesterday if you had asked me.
▪ I would have been playing with Anne if I had won my last
I would have been playing Cond. Perfect Continuous ▪ Continuous hypothetical situations.
match.