I. Simple Tenses
(Past, Present, and Future)
Past
Present
Future
I did
my work.
I do
my work.
I will
do my work.
A.
Simple past tense
The simple past tense describes conditions or actions in the past. The
conditions/actions may be one-time or repeated/customary happenings; in either
case, the condition/action is completed and has no relationship to the present.
Examples: I saw him yesterday. (one-time happening)
I spoke to him every day last week.
(repeated action)
I cried often when I was a
child.
(customary action)
B.
Simple present tense
The simple present tense describes repeated, customary, or
characteristic conditions/actions in the present.
The simple present tense is also used to describe not-too-distant future
conditions/actions which are definitely expected or scheduled.
Examples: He phones me every
week. (repeated)
She sings well. (characteristic)
We eat
dinner at 7:00. (customary)
We have a test tomorrow.
(near future scheduled happening)
C.
Simple future tense
The simple future tense describes conditions/actions in the future.
The simple future tense can also express confident expectation.
Examples: I will visit you
tomorrow. (future)
You will do well on your test.
(confident expectation)
II.
Progressive Tenses
(Past, Present, and Future)
Progressive Past
Progressive Present
Progressive
Future
He was reading
when I called
I am working now.
He
will be working late
tonight.
All progressive tenses show that the action/condition of the verb was/is/will
be in progress during the time being considered or that the action/condition
is characteristic of the time being considered (in contrast to a time when it
was not or will not be).
Examples: You are reading this
sentence. (action in progress)
He is taking a math course this
semester.
(characteristic of the time being considered in contrast to last
semester, when he was not)
You will be revising your
papers in you English composition classes.
(future continuous action)
Verbs, which express actions that are completed in a matter of moments
(hit, stop, ring, etc.), can be used in progressive to show that the action is
happening repeatedly or in stages (gradually).
Examples: The phone is ringing. (happening
repeatedly)
It looks as if that car is stopping
to pick us up. (happening in
stages,
gradually.)
Please note that the past progressive cannot be used without some other
past point of reference.
Examples: He was sleeping. (incorrect)
He was
sleeping when I called. (okay)
He was sleeping at 10:00 last night.
(okay)
III. Certain verbs
are generally not used in progressive. These
verbs include the following:
consider
like
understand
doubt
love
want
feel (touch)
think (have an opinion)
prefer
hate
regret
seem
hear
see (visually perceive)
appear
know
taste
look like
belong
equal
owe
contain
have (possess)
require
cost
mean
show (prove)
deserve
own
look (appear)
Using a verb from this list in progressive indicates that there has been
a change in meaning, that the verb identifies a deliberate act rather than a
subjective experience, or that there is a progressive change in the quality or
intensity of the condition expressed by the verb.
Examples: I have
five dollars. (have - possess)
I am having
a party tonight. (have - host;
change in meaning)
I think he is nice.
(think - have an opinion)
I am thinking about him.
(think is now a deliberate process)
He looks well. (look - appear, seem)
He is looking better every day.
(progressive change in intensity or quality.)
IV.
Perfect Tenses (Past, Present, and Future)
Past Perfect
Present Perfect
Future Perfect
The movie had
ended
I have known him
We
will have
by the time we arrived.
for years.
finished by
noon.
Past
Perfect is
used to express conditions/actions which were important at some other past time
or to show that a past condition/action happened before another past event.
Examples: He
did not go to class because he had
been up late the night before.
(His
being up late influenced his not going to class – both happened
in
the past.)
I had already met him before you introduced us.
(The meeting happened before the introduction, but both happened in the past.)
Present
Perfect
expresses a condition/action which occurred in the past but has some
importance/influence in the present or which began in the past but has continued
into the present.
Examples: I have
seen him before.
(The
seeing happened in the past but has some importance now.)
She has lived here for many years.
(She started living here in the past, and she still lives here in the present.)
Future
Perfect
expresses conditions/actions which will have importance/influence in the future
or which will occur before some other future event.
Example: I will have spoken to him before we meet again.
(Both events
will take place in the future; speaking to him will take
place before
meeting.)