Simple tenses of verbs

Great

P
oor

O
kay

G
ood

G
reat

A
wesome
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Tue, 12/24/2013 - 07:07 — Chris McCarthy

 Grammar

The main function of a verb is to indicate when the action happens. There are three main verb
tenses; past, present and future. Each tense is divided into; simple, continuous, perfect and perfect
continuous.

In this lesson we are looking at the simple tenses in the past, present and future.

The present tense of a verb is the 'original' form. The past tense can have different patterns. The
future simple is formed with 'will'.

Here are some verbs used in the past, present and future tenses:

Have

I had a shower. (Past simple)

I have a shower every day. (Present simple)
I will have a shower later. (Future simple)

See

I saw Chris yesterday. (Past simple)

I see Chris at work. (Present simple)
I will see Chris at the party this evening. (Future simple)

Run
I ran five kilometres yesterday. (Past simple)
I run very fast. (Present simple)
I will run tomorrow morning. (Future simple)

It is important to remember that in the Present simple with ‘he’, ‘she’, and ‘it’ add an ‘s’ to the verb.

Like

He liked the film. (Past simple)

He likes swimming (Present simple)
He will like the party. (Future simple)

Eat

She ate her lunch outside. (Past simple)

She eats lunch at the restaurant near her office. (Present simple)
She will eat with me. (Future simple)

Know

I knew her when I was a child. (Past simple)

I know your Father. (Present simple)
I will know what to do later. (Future simple)

Cook

I cooked dinner. (Past simple)

I cook dinner. (Present simple)
I will cook dinner tomorrow. (Future simple)

It is important to use the correct word or phrase which shows the time of the action because
sometimes the tense is not enough to explain the time an action happens. We look at this in other
lessons.
So a Past simple tense has words or phrases to show it is a past action like 'yesterday', 'last
week/month/year', 'a month ago' etc. and the same is true for the Present simple and the Future
simple.
 PROGRESSIVE TENSES
 

A. Present progressive = am  + (base form + -ing) :  I am

working.  OR is + (base form + -ing) : She is eating. OR  are +
(base form + -ing) :  We are studying.
1. A planned activity.
            Sofia is starting school at CEC tomorrow
2. An activity that is occurring right now.
            Jan is watching TV right now.
3. An activity that is in progress, although not actually
occurring at the time of speaking.
            Sara is learning English at CEC.
 
B. Past progressive = was  + (base form + -ing) : I was working. 
OR were + (base form + -ing) : They were eating.
1. A past activity in progress while  another activity occurred.
            At 6:00 yesterday I was eating dinner.
            The phone rang while I was eating.
2. Two past activities in progress at the same time.
             While I was answering the phone, my wife was
cooking dinner.
 
C. Future progressive = will be + (base form + -ing): I will be
working. He will be eating.
 An activity that will be in progress.
            Tomorrow Sam will be studying for the test on Unit 1.
 
D. Present perfect progressive = have + (base form + -ing): I
have been working.  OR has + (base form + -ing): She has been
eating.
 
1. This tense emphasizes the duration of an activity that
began in the past and continues into the present.  It often
uses time words or phrases. It may be used to refer to
continuing activity that is recent.
            He has been painting houses all summer.
            I’ve been studying English for 2 years.
2. It may be used to refer to continuing activity that is recent.
            He has been going to school at CEC.
 
E. Past perfect progressive  = had + (base form + -ing) : I had
been working. He had been eating.
  
            When the teacher arrived, I had been waiting almost
10 minutes.
            He was out of breath because he had been running
to catch the bus.
 
F. Future perfect progressive = will  have + (base form + -ing): I
will have been working. She will have been eating.
This tense emphasizes the duration of a continuing activity in
the future that ends before another activity or time in the
future.
 

            By 2003 Janet will have been studying English at

CEC for 3 years.
            By 9:45 tonight I will have been sitting in class for 2
hours and 45 minutes.

Perfect Tenses

The three perfect tenses in English are the three verb tenses which show action
already completed. (The word perfect literally means "made complete" or "completely
done.")

They are formed by the appropriate tense of the verb to have plus the past
participle of the verb.
Present Perfect: I have seen it. 
(Present tense of to have plus participle. Action is completed with respect to the
present.)

Past Perfect: I had seen it. 

(Past tense of to have plus participle. Action is completed with respect to the past.)

Future Perfect: I will have seen it. 

(Future tense of to have plus participle. Action is completed with respect to the
future.)

Some authorities consider the passive voice of certain verbs that are always
intransitive to be the perfect tense also.

Example: They are gone.

Example: He is risen.
Modals in English Grammar

1. can

Use Examples

ability to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be able to) I can speak English.

permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be

Can I go to the cinema?
allowed to)

request Can you wait a moment, please?

offer I can lend you my car till tomorrow.

Can we visit Grandma at the
suggestion
weekend?

possibility It can get very hot in Arizona.

2. could

Use Examples

ability to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be able to) I could speak English.

 Use Examples

permission to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be

I could go to the cinema.
allowed to)

polite question * Could I go to the cinema, please?

polite request * Could you wait a moment, please?

polite offer * I could lend you my car till tomorrow.

Could we visit Grandma at the
polite suggestion *
weekend?

possibility * It could get very hot in Montana.

3. may

Use Examples

possibility It may rain today.

permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be allowed to) May I go to the cinema?

polite suggestion May I help you?

4. might

Use Examples

possibility (less possible than may) * It might rain today.

hesitant offer * Might I help you?

5. must

Use Examples

force, necessity I must go to the supermarket today.

possibility You must be tired.

advice, recommendation You must see the new film with Brad Pitt.

6. must not/may not

Use Examples

You mustn't work on dad's computer.

prohibition (must is a little stronger)

You may not work on dad's computer.

7. need not

Use Examples

sth. is not necessary I needn't go to the supermarket, we're going to the restaurant tonight.

8. ought to

simliar to should – ought to sounds a little less subjective

Use Examples

advice You ought to drive carefully in bad weather.

obligation You ought to switch off the light when you leave the room.

9. shall

used instead of will in the 1st person

Use Examples

suggestion Shall I carry your bag?

10. should

Use Examples

advice You should drive carefully in bad weather.

obligation You should switch off the light when you leave the room.

11. will

Use Examples

wish, request, demand, order (less polite than

Will you please shut the door?
would)

prediction, assumption I think it will rain on Friday.

promise I will stop smoking.

spontaneous decision Can somebody drive me to the station? - I will.

She's strange, she'll sit for hours without

habits
talking.
12. would

Use Examples

wish, request (more polite than will) Would you shut the door, please?

habits in the past Sometimes he would bring me some flowers.

* These are no past forms, they refer to the future.