Personal Pronouns

pronouns
possessive
number person gender* subject object possessive reflexive adjectives

1st m/f I me mine myself my

2nd m/f you you yours yourself your

singular m he him his himself his

3rd f she her hers herself her

n it it its itself its

1st m/f we us ours ourselves our

plural 2nd m/f you you yours yourselves your

3rd m/f/n they them theirs themselves their

* m=male f=female n=neuter

Examples:

pronoun subject She likes homework.

object The teacher gave me some homework.

possessive This homework is yours.

reflexive John did the homework himself.

possessive adjective The teacher corrected our homework.

 Basic Question Structure
auxiliary verb + subject + main verb
auxiliary verb subject main verb

Do you like Mary?

Are they playing football?

Will Anthony go to Tokyo?

Have you seen ET?

Exception! For the verb to be in simple present and simple past tenses we do not use an
auxiliary verb. We simply reverse the positions of to be and the subject:

Statement: He is German.

Question: Is he German?

Basic Question Types

There are 3 basic types of question:

 Yes/No Questions (the answer to the question is "Yes" or "No")

 Question Word Questions (the answer to the question is "Information")
 Choice Questions (the answer to the question is "in the question")

Yes/No Questions

Answer
auxiliary verb subject main verb
Yes or No

Do you want dinner? Yes, I do.

Can you drive? No, I can't.

Has she finished her work? Yes, she has.

Did they go home? No, they didn't.

Exception! verb to be simple present and simple past

Is Anne French? Yes, she is.

Was Ram at home? No, he wasn't.

Question Word Questions

question auxiliary main Answer

subject
word verb verb Information

Where do you live? In Paris.

When will we have lunch? At 1pm.

Who did she meet? She met Ram.

Why hasn't Tara done it? Because she can't.

Exception! verb to be simple present and simple past

Where is Bombay? In India.

How was she? Very well.

Choice Questions

auxiliary main Answer

subject OR
verb verb In the question

Do you want tea or coffee? Coffee, please.

Will we meet John or James? John.

to New
Did she go or She went to London.
London York?

Exception! verb to be simple present and simple past

Is your car white or black? It's black.

Were they $15 or $50? $15.

 Future Time: Summary
% probability before
speaker speaks of event used
happening structure for example

0% will no plan Don't get up. I'll answer the phone.

70% going to intention We're going to watch TV tonight.

present
90% plan I'm taking my exam in June.
continuous

My plane takes off at 6.00am

99.999% present simple schedule
tomorrow.

Will
One of the most common ways to talk about the future is with will, for example: I will call you tonight.
We often call this the "future simple tense", but technically there are no future tenses in English. In this
construction, the word will is a modal auxiliary verb.

Will: no prior plan

We use will when there is no prior plan or decision to do something before we speak. We make the
decision at the time of speaking. Look at these examples:

 Hold on. I'll get a pen.

 We will see what we can do to help you.
 Maybe we'll stay in and watch television tonight.

In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The decision is made at the time of
speaking.

We often use "will" with the verb "to think":

 I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow.

 I think I'll have a holiday next year.
 I don't think I'll buy that car.
Will: prediction
We often use "will" to make a prediction about the future. Again, there is no firm plan. We are
saying what we think will happen. Here are some examples:

 It will rain tomorrow.

 People won't go to Jupiter before the 22nd century.
 Who do you think will get the job?

Will + to be
The verb "to be" is an exception with "will". Even when we have a very firm plan, and we are
not speaking spontaneously, we can use "will" with "to be". Look at these examples:

 I will be in London tomorrow.

 There will be 50 people at the party.
 The meeting will be at 9.30 am.

Going to
Going to: intention
We use the special "going to" construction when we have the intention to do something before
we speak. We have already made a decision before speaking. Look at these examples:

 I have won $1,000. I am going to buy a new TV.

 We're not going to see my mother tomorrow.
 When are you going to go on holiday?

In these examples, we had an intention or plan before speaking. The decision was made
before we spoke.

Going to: prediction

We often use "going to" to make a prediction about the future. Our prediction is based on
evidence. We are saying what seems sure to happen. Here are some examples:

 The sky is very black. It is going to snow.

 It's 8.30! You're going to miss the train!
 I crashed the company car. My boss isn't going to be very happy!

In these examples, the present situation (black sky/the time/damaged car) gives
us a good idea of what is going to happen.
Present Continuous: for prior plan
We use the present continuous only when a plan exists before we speak. Look at these
examples:

 Mary is taking her music exam next year.

 They can’t play tennis with you tomorrow. They 're working.
 We’re going to the theatre on Friday.

Present Simple: for schedule

When an event is on a schedule or timetable (for example, the take-off time for a plane), we
often use the present simple to express the future. We usually also use a future word (expressed
or understood) like "tomorrow", "at 6.30pm", "next week".

Only a few verbs are used in this way, for example:

 be, open, close, begin, start, end, finish, arrive, come, leave, return

Look at these sentences:

 The train leaves Detroit at 9pm tonight.

 John starts work next week.
 Tomorrow is Thursday.
Simple Present Tense
I sing.

How do we make the Simple Present Tense?

subject + auxiliary verb + main verb
do base

There are three important exceptions:

1. For positive sentences, we do not normally use the auxiliary.

2. For the 3rd person singular (he, she, it), we add s to the main verb or es to the
auxiliary.
3. For the verb to be, we do not use an auxiliary, even for questions and negatives.

Look at these examples with the main verb to like:

subject auxiliary verb main verb

I, you, we, they like coffee.

+
He, she, it likes coffee.

I, you, we, they do not like coffee.

-
He, she, it does not like coffee.

Do I, you, we, they like coffee?

?
Does he, she, it like coffee?

Look at these examples with the main verb to be. Notice that there is no auxiliary:

subject main verb

I am French.

+ You, we, they are French.

He, she, it is French.

I am not old.
-
 You, we, they are not old.

He, she, it is not old.

Am I late?

? Are you, we, they late?

Is he, she, it late?

How do we use the Simple Present Tense?

We use the simple present tense when:

 the action is general

 the action happens all the time, or habitually, in the past, present and future
 the action is not only happening now
 the statement is always true

John drives a taxi.

past present future

It is John's job to drive a taxi. He does it every day. Past, present and future.

Look at these examples:

 I live in New York.

 The Moon goes round the Earth.
 John drives a taxi.
 He does not drive a bus.
 We do not work at night.
 Do you play football?

Note that with the verb to be, we can also use the simple present tense for situations that are not
general. We can use the simple present tense to talk about now. Look at these examples of the
verb to be in the present simple tense—some of them are general, some of them are now:

Am I right?
Tara is not at home.
 You are happy.
past present future

The situation is now.

I am not ugly.
Why are you so beautiful?
Ram is tall.
past present future

The situation is general. Past, present and future.

Present Continuous Tense
I am singing.

We often use the present continuous tense in English. It is very different from the simple present
tense, both in structure and in use.

How do we make the Present Continuous Tense?

The structure of the present continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb + main verb

be base + ing

Look at these examples:

subject auxiliary verb main verb

+ I am speaking to you.

+ You are reading this.

- She is not staying in London.

- We are not playing football.

? Is he watching TV?

? Are they waiting for John?

How do we use the Present Continuous Tense?

We use the present continuous tense to talk about:

 action happening now

 action in the future
Present continuous tense for action happening now
a) for action happening exactly now

I am eating my lunch.
past present future

The action is happening

now.

b) for action happening around now

The action may not be happening exactly now, but it is happening just before and just after now,
and it is not permanent or habitual.

John is going out with Mary.

past present future

The action is happening around

now.

Look at these examples:

 Muriel is learning to drive.

 I am living with my sister until I find an apartment.

Present continuous tense for the future

We can also use the present continuous tense to talk about the future—if we add a future
word!! We must add (or understand from the context) a future word. "Future words" include,
for example, tomorrow, next year, in June, at Christmas etc. We only use the present
continuous tense to talk about the future when we have planned to do something before we
speak. We have already made a decision and a plan before speaking.
 I am taking my exam next month.
past present future

!!!
A firm plan or programme The action is in the
exists now. future.

Look at these examples:

 We're eating in a restaurant tonight. We've already booked the table..

 They can play tennis with you tomorrow. They're not working.
 When are you starting your new job?

In these examples, we have a firm plan or programme before speaking. The decision and
plan were made before speaking.
 How do we spell the Present Continuous Tense?
We make the present continuous tense by adding -ing to the base verb. Normally it's simple—we just add -
ing. But sometimes we have to change the word a little. Perhaps we double the last letter, or we drop a
letter. Here are the rules to help you know how to spell the present continuous tense.

Basic rule Just add -ing to the base verb:

work > working

play > playing

assist > assisting

see > seeing

be > being

If the base verb ends in consonant + stressed vowel + consonant, double the
Exception 1 last letter:
s t o p
stressed
consonant consonant
vowel
(vowels = a, e, i, o, u)

stop > stopping

run > running

begin > beginning

Note that this exception does not apply when the last syllable of the base verb is
not stressed:

open > opening

Exception 2 If the base verb ends in ie, change the ie to y:

lie > lying

die > dying

Exception 3 If the base verb ends in vowel + consonant + e, omit the e:

come > coming

mistake > mistaking

Present Perfect Tense
I have sung.

The present perfect tense is a rather important tense in English, but it gives speakers of some languages
a difficult time. That is because it uses concepts or ideas that do not exist in those languages. In fact, the
structure of the present perfect tense is very simple. The problems come with the use of the tense. In
addition, there are some differences in usage between British and American English.

How do we make the Present Perfect Tense?

The structure of the present perfect tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb + main verb

have past participle

Here are some examples of the present perfect tense:

subject auxiliary verb main verb

+ I have seen ET.

+ You have eaten mine.

- She has not been to Rome.

- We have not not played football.

? Have you finished?

? Have they done it?

Contractions with the present perfect tense

When we use the present perfect tense in speaking, we usually contract the subject and auxiliary
verb. We also sometimes do this when we write.

I have I've

You have You've

He has He's
She has She's
It has It's
John has John's
The car has The car's

We have We've

They have They've

Here are some examples:

 I've finished my work.

 John's seen ET.
 They've gone home.

How do we use the Present Perfect Tense?

This tense is called the present perfect tense. There is always a connection with the past and
with the present. There are basically three uses for the present perfect tense:

1. experience
2. change
3. continuing situation

1. Present perfect tense for experience

We often use the present perfect tense to talk about experience from the past. We are not
interested in when you did something. We only want to know if you did it:

I have seen ET.

He has lived in Bangkok.
Have you been there?
We have never eaten caviar.
 past present future

!!!
The action or state was in In my head, I have a
the past. memory now.

Connection with past: the event was in the past.

Connection with present: in my head, now, I have a memory of the event; I
know something about the event; I have experience of it.

2. Present perfect tense for change

We also use the present perfect tense to talk about a change or new information:

I have bought a car.

past present future

- +
Last week I didn't have a car. Now I have a car.

John has broken his leg.

past present future

+ -
Yesterday John had a good leg. Now he has a bad leg.

Has the price gone up?

Past present future

+ -
Is the price $1.70
Was the price $1.50 yesterday?
today?
 The police have arrested the killer.
past present future

- +
Yesterday the killer was free. Now he is in prison.

Connection with past: the past is the opposite of the present.

Connection with present: the present is the opposite of the past.

3. Present perfect tense for continuing situation

We often use the present perfect tense to talk about a continuing situation. This is a state that started in
the past and continues in the present (and will probably continue into the future). This is a state (not an
action). We usually use for or since with this structure.

I have worked here since June.

He has been ill for 2 days.
How long have you known Tara?
past present future

The situation started in the (It will probably continue into

It continues up to now.
past. the future.)

Connection with past: the situation started in the past.

Connection with present: the situation continues in the present.

For and Since with Present Perfect Tense

We often use for and since with the present perfect tense.

 We use for to talk about a period of time—5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years.

 We use since to talk about a point in past time—9 o'clock, 1st January,
Monday.
 for since
a period of time a point in past time

·
20 minutes 6.15pm

three days Monday

6 months January

4 years 1994

2 centuries 1800

a long time I left school

ever the beginning of time

etc etc

Here are some examples:

 I have been here for 20 minutes.

 I have been here since 9 o'clock.
 John hasn't called for 6 months.
 John hasn't called since February.
 He has worked in New York for a long time.
 He has worked in New York since he left school.
Present Perfect Continuous Tense
I have been singing.

How do we make the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

The structure of the present perfect continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb + auxiliary verb + main verb

have
been base + ing
has

Here are some examples of the present perfect continuous tense:

auxiliary auxiliary main

subject
verb verb verb

+ I have been waiting for one hour.

+ You have been talking too much.

- It has not been raining.

- We have not been playing football.

? Have you been seeing her?

? Have they been doing their homework?

Contractions

When we use the present perfect continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and
the first auxiliary. We also sometimes do this in informal writing.

I have been I've been

You have been You've been

He has been He's been

She has been She's been
It has been It's been
John has been John's been
The car has been The car's been

We have been We've been

They have been They've been

Here are some examples:

 I've been reading.

 The car's been giving trouble.
 We've been playing tennis for two hours.

How do we use the Present Perfect Continuous Tense?

This tense is called the present perfect continuous tense. There is usually a connection with the
present or now. There are basically two uses for the present perfect continuous tense:

1. An action that has just stopped or recently stopped

We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and
stopped recently. There is usually a result now.

I'm tired because I've been running.

past present future

!!!
Recent action. Result now.

 I'm tired [now] because I've been running.

 Why is the grass wet [now]? Has it been raining?
 You don't understand [now] because you haven't been listening.

2. An action continuing up to now

We use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about an action that started in the past and is
continuing now. This is often used with for or since.

I have been reading for 2 hours.

 past present future

Action started in past. Action is continuing now.

 I have been reading for 2 hours. [I am still reading now.]

 We've been studying since 9 o'clock. [We're still studying now.]
 How long have you been learning English? [You are still learning now.]
 We have not been smoking. [And we are not smoking now.]

For and Since with Present Perfect Continuous Tense

We often use for and since with the present perfect tense.

 We use for to talk about a period of time—5 minutes, 2 weeks, 6 years.

 We use since to talk about a point in past time—9 o'clock, 1st January,
Monday.

for since
a period of time a point in past time

·
20 minutes 6.15pm

three days Monday

6 months January

4 years 1994

2 centuries 1800

a long time I left school

ever the beginning of time

etc etc

Here are some examples:

 I have been studying for 3 hours.
 I have been watching TV since 7pm.
 Tara hasn't been feeling well for 2 weeks.
 Tara hasn't been visiting us since March.
 He has been playing football for a long time.
 He has been living in Bangkok since he left school.
 Simple Past Tense
I sang.

The simple past tense is sometimes called the preterite tense. We can use several tenses to talk
about the past, but the simple past tense is the one we use most often.

How do we make the Simple Past Tense?

To make the simple past tense, we use:

 past form only

or
 auxiliary did + base form

Here you can see examples of the past form and base form for irregular verbs and regular verbs:

V1 V2 V3
base past past participle

go went gone The past form for irregular

irregular
see saw seen verbs is variable. You need
verb
sing sang sung to learn it by heart.

work worked worked

regular The past form for all regular
explode exploded exploded
verb verbs ends in -ed.
like liked liked

You do not need the past

participle form to make the
simple past tense. It is shown
here for completeness only.

The structure for positive sentences in the simple past tense is:

subject + main verb

past

The structure for negative sentences in the simple past tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb + not + main verb

did base
The structure for question sentences in the simple past tense is:

auxiliary verb + subject + main verb

did base

The auxiliary verb did is not conjugated. It is the same for all persons (I did, you did, he did
etc). And the base form and past form do not change. Look at these examples with the main
verbs go and work:

subject auxiliary verb main verb

I went to school.
+
You worked very hard.

She did not go with me.

-
We did not work yesterday.

Did you go to London?

?
Did they work at home?

Exception! The verb to be is different. We conjugate the verb to be (I was, you were, he/she/it was, we
were, they were); and we do not use an auxiliary for negative and question sentences. To make a question,
we exchange the subject and verb. Look at these examples:

subject main verb

I, he/she/it was here.

+
You, we, they were in London.

I, he/she/it was not there.

-
You, we, they were not happy.

Was I, he/she/it right?

?
Were you, we, they late?
How do we use the Simple Past Tense?
We use the simple past tense to talk about an action or a situation—an event—in the past. The
event can be short or long.

Here are some short events with the simple past tense:

The car exploded at 9.30am yesterday.

She went to the door.
We did not hear the telephone.
Did you see that car?
past present future

The action is in the past.

Here are some long events with the simple past tense:

I lived in Bangkok for 10 years.

The Jurassic period lasted about 62 million years.
We did not sing at the concert.
Did you watch TV last night?
past present future

The action is in the past.

Notice that it does not matter how long ago the event is: it can be a few minutes or seconds in
the past, or millions of years in the past. Also it does not matter how long the event is. It can be
a few milliseconds (car explosion) or millions of years (Jurassic period). We use the simple past
tense when:

 the event is in the past

 the event is completely finished
 we say (or understand) the time and/or place of the event
Here are some more examples:

 I lived in that house when I was young.

 He didn't like the movie.
 What did you eat for dinner?
 John drove to London on Monday.
 Mary did not go to work yesterday.
 Did you play tennis last week?
 I was at work yesterday.
 We were not late (for the train).
 Were you angry?

Note that when we tell a story, we usually use the simple past tense. We may use the past
continuous tense to "set the scene", but we almost always use the simple past tense for the
action. Look at this example of the beginning of a story:

"The wind was howling around the hotel and the rain was pouring
down. It was cold. The door opened and James Bond entered. He
took off his coat, which was very wet, and ordered a drink at the
bar. He sat down in the corner of the lounge and quietly drank
his..."
Past Continuous Tense
I was singing.

The past continuous tense is an important tense in English. We use it to say what we were in
the middle of doing at a particular moment in the past.

In this lesson we look at:

How do we make the Past Continuous Tense?

The structure of the past continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb BE + main verb

conjugated in simple past tense present participle

was
base + ing
were

For negative sentences in the past continuous tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb
and main verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at
these example sentences with the past continuous tense:

subject auxiliary verb main verb

+ I was watching TV.

+ You were working hard.

- He, she, it was not helping Mary.

- We were not joking.

? Were you being silly?

? Were they playing football?

How do we use the Past Continuous Tense?
The past continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the past. The action
started before that moment but has not finished at that moment. For example, yesterday I
watched a film on TV. The film started at 7pm and finished at 9pm.

At 8pm yesterday, I was watching TV.

past present future

8pm

At 8pm, I was in the

middle of watching TV.

When we use the past continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time we
are talking about. Look at these examples:

 I was working at 10pm last night.

 They were not playing football at 9am this morning.
 What were you doing at 10pm last night?
 What were you doing when he arrived?
 She was cooking when I telephoned her.
 We were having dinner when it started to rain.
 Ram went home early because it was snowing.

We often use the past continuous tense to "set the scene" in stories. We use it to describe the
background situation at the moment when the action begins. Often, the story starts with the past
continuous tense and then moves into the simple past tense. Here is an example:

" James Bond was driving through town. It was raining. The wind
was blowing hard. Nobody was walking in the streets. Suddenly,
Bond saw the killer in a telephone box..."
Past Continuous Tense + Simple Past Tense
We often use the past continuous tense with the simple past tense. We use the past continuous
tense to express a long action. And we use the simple past tense to express a short action that
happens in the middle of the long action. We can join the two ideas with when or while.

In the following example, we have two actions:

1. long action (watching TV), expressed with past continuous tense

2. short action (telephoned), expressed with simple past tense

past present future

Long action.

I was watching TV at 8pm.

8pm

You telephoned at 8pm.

Short action.

We can join these two actions with when:

 I was watching TV when you telephoned.

(Notice that "when you telephoned" is also a way of defining the time [8pm].)

We use:

 when + short action (simple past tense)

 while + long action (past continuous tense)

There are four basic combinations:

I was walking past the car when it exploded.

When the car exploded I was walking past it.

The car exploded while I was walking past it.

While I was walking past the car it exploded.

Notice that the long action and short action are relative.
Past Perfect Tense
I had sung.

The past perfect tense is quite an easy tense to understand and to use. This tense talks about the
"past in the past".

In this lesson we look at:

How do we make the Past Perfect Tense?

The structure of the past perfect tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb HAVE + main verb

conjugated in simple past tense past participle

had V3

For negative sentences in the past perfect tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and
main verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these
example sentences with the past perfect tense:

subject auxiliary verb main verb

+ I had finished my work.

+ You had stopped before me.

- She had not gone to school.

- We had not left.

? Had you arrived?

? Had they eaten dinner?

When speaking with the past perfect tense, we often contract the subject and auxiliary verb:

I had I'd

you had you'd

he had he'd
she had she'd
it had it'd

we had we'd

they had they'd

How do we use the Past Perfect Tense?

The past perfect tense expresses action in the past before another action in the past. This is the
past in the past. For example:

 The train left at 9am. We arrived at 9.15am. When we arrived, the train had left.

The train had left when we arrived.

past present future

Train leaves in past at

9am.

9 9.15

We arrive in past at
9.15am.

Look at some more examples:

 I wasn't hungry. I had just eaten.

 They were hungry. They had not eaten for five hours.
 I didn't know who he was. I had never seen him before.
 "Mary wasn't at home when I arrived."
"Really? Where had she gone?"
You can sometimes think of the past perfect tense like the present perfect tense, but instead of
the time being now the time is past.

past perfect tense present perfect tense

had | have |
done | done |
>| >|

past now future past now future

For example, imagine that you arrive at the station at 9.15am. The stationmaster says to you:

 "You are too late. The train has left."

Later, you tell your friends:

 "We were too late. The train had left."

We often use the past perfect tense in reported speech after verbs like said, told, asked,
thought, wondered:

Look at these examples:

 He told us that the train had left.

 I thought I had met her before, but I was wrong.
 He explained that he had closed the window because of the rain.
 I wondered if I had been there before.
 I asked them why they had not finished.
Past Perfect Continuous Tense
I had been singing.

How do we make the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

The structure of the past perfect continuous tense is:

auxiliary verb auxiliary main

subject + + +
HAVE verb BE verb
conjugated in simple present
past participle
past tense participle

had been base + ing

For negative sentences in the past perfect continuous tense, we insert not after the first auxiliary
verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and first auxiliary verb. Look at these
example sentences with the past perfect continuous tense:

subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb

+ I had been working.

+ You had been playing tennis.

- It had not been working well.

- We had not been expecting her.

? Had you been drinking?

? Had they been waiting long?

When speaking with the past perfect continuous tense, we often contract the subject and first
auxiliary verb:

I had been I'd been

you had been you'd been

he had he'd been

she had been she'd been
it had been it'd been

we had been we'd been

they had been they'd been

How do we use the Past Perfect Continuous Tense?

The past perfect continuous tense is like the past perfect tense, but it expresses longer actions in
the past before another action in the past. For example:

 Ram started waiting at 9am. I arrived at 11am. When I arrived, Ram had
been waiting for two hours.

Ram had been waiting for two hours when I arrived.

past present future

Ram starts waiting in

past at 9am.

9 11

I arrive in past at 11am.

Here are some more examples:

 John was very tired. He had been running.

 I could smell cigarettes. Somebody had been smoking.
 Suddenly, my car broke down. I was not surprised. It had not been
running well for a long time.
 Had the pilot been drinking before the crash?
You can sometimes think of the past perfect continuous tense like the present perfect continuous
tense, but instead of the time being now the time is past.

past perfect continuous tense present perfect continuous tense

had | | | have |
been | | | been |
doing | | | doing |
>>>> | | | >>>> |

past now future past now future

For example, imagine that you meet Ram at 11am. Ram says to you:

 "I am angry. I have been waiting for two hours."

Later, you tell your friends:

 "Ram was angry. He had been waiting for two hours."

Simple Future Tense
I will sing.

The simple future tense is often called will, because we make the simple future tense with the
modal auxiliary will.

How do we make the Simple Future Tense?

The structure of the simple future tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb WILL + main verb

invariable base

will V1

For negative sentences in the simple future tense, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and
main verb. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and auxiliary verb. Look at these
example sentences with the simple future tense:

subject auxiliary verb main verb

+ I will open the door.

+ You will finish before me.

- She will not be at school tomorrow.

- We will not leave yet.

? Will you arrive on time?

? Will they want dinner?

When we use the simple future tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and auxiliary
verb:

I will I'll

you will you'll

he will he'll
she will she'll
it will it'll

we will we'll

they will they'll

For negative sentences in the simple future tense, we contract with won't, like this:

I will not I won't

you will not you won't

he will not he won't

she will not she won't
it will not it won't

we will not we won't

they will not they won't

How do we use the Simple Future Tense?

Simple future tense for No Plan

We use the simple future tense when there is no plan or decision to do something before we
speak. We make the decision spontaneously at the time of speaking. Look at these examples:

 Hold on. I'll get a pen.

 We will see what we can do to help you.
 Maybe we'll stay in and watch television tonight.

In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The decision is made at the time of
speaking.

We often use the simple future tense with the verb to think before it:

 I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow.

  I think I will have a holiday next year.
 I don't think I'll buy that car.

Simple future tense for Prediction

We often use the simple future tense to make a prediction about the future. Again, there is no
firm plan. We are saying what we think will happen. Here are some examples:

 It will rain tomorrow.

 People won't go to Jupiter before the 22nd century.
 Who do you think will get the job?

Simple future tense with BE

When the main verb is be, we can use the simple future tense even if we have a firm plan or
decision before speaking. Examples:

 I'll be in London tomorrow.

 I'm going shopping. I won't be very long.
 Will you be at work tomorrow?
Future Continuous Tense
I will be singing.

How do we make the Future Continuous Tense?

The structure of the future continuous tense is:

auxiliary verb auxiliary main

subject + + +
WILL verb BE verb
present
invariable invariable
participle

will be base + ing

For negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we insert not between will and be. For
question sentences, we exchange the subject and will. Look at these example sentences with the
future continuous tense:

auxiliary auxiliary main

subject
verb verb verb

+ I will be working at 10am.

on a beach
+ You will be lying
tomorrow.

- She will not be using the car.

- We will not be having dinner at home.

? Will you be playing football?

? Will they be watching TV?

When we use the future continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and will:

I will I'll

you will you'll

he will he'll
she will she'll
it will it'll

we will we'll

they will they'll

For spoken negative sentences in the future continuous tense, we contract with won't, like this:

I will not I won't

you will not you won't

he will not he won't

she will not she won't
it will not it won't

we will not we won't

they will not they won't

How do we use the Future Continuous Tense?

The future continuous tense expresses action at a particular moment in the future. The action
will start before that moment but it will not have finished at that moment. For example,
tomorrow I will start work at 2pm and stop work at 6pm:

At 4pm tomorrow, I will be working.

past present future

4pm

At 4pm, I will be in the

middle of working.
When we use the future continuous tense, our listener usually knows or understands what time
we are talking about. Look at these examples:

 I will be playing tennis at 10am tomorrow.

 They won't be watching TV at 9pm tonight.
 What will you be doing at 10pm tonight?
 What will you be doing when I arrive?
 She will not be sleeping when you telephone her.
 We 'll be having dinner when the film starts.
 Take your umbrella. It will be raining when you return.
Future Perfect Tense
I will have sung.

The future perfect tense is quite an easy tense to understand and use. The future perfect tense
talks about the past in the future.

How do we make the Future Perfect Tense?

The structure of the future perfect tense is:

auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main

subject + + +
WILL HAVE verb
past
invariable invariable
participle

will have V3

Look at these example sentences in the future perfect tense:

subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb

+ I will have finished by 10am.

+ You will have forgotten me by then.

- She will not have gone to school.

- We will not have left.

? Will you have arrived?

? Will they have received it?

In speaking with the future perfect tense, we often contract the subject and will. Sometimes, we
contract the subject, will and have all together:

I will have I'll have I'll've

you will have you'll have you'll've

he will have he'll have he'll've

she will have she'll have she'll've
it will have it'll have it'll've

we will have we'll have we'll've

they will have they'll have they'll've

How do we use the Future Perfect Tense?

The future perfect tense expresses action in the future before another action in the future. This
is the past in the future. For example:

 The train will leave the station at 9am. You will arrive at the station at
9.15am. When you arrive, the train will have left.

The train will have left when you arrive.

past present future

Train leaves in future at

9am.

9 9.15

You arrive in future at

9.15am.

Look at some more examples:

 You can call me at work at 8am. I will have arrived at the office by 8.
 They will be tired when they arrive. They will not have slept for a long
time.
 "Mary won't be at home when you arrive."
"Really? Where will she have gone?"
Future Perfect Continuous Tense
I will have been singing.

How do we make the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?

The structure of the future perfect continuous tense is:

auxiliary auxiliary
auxiliary main
subject + verb + verb + +
verb BE verb
WILL HAVE
past present
invariable invariable
participle participle

base +
will have been
ing

For negative sentences in the future perfect continuous tense, we insert not between will and
have. For question sentences, we exchange the subject and will. Look at these example
sentences with the future perfect continuous tense:

auxiliary auxiliary auxiliary main

subject
verb verb verb verb

for four
+ I will have been working
hours.

for two
+ You will have been travelling
days.

- She will not have been using the car.

- We will not have been waiting long.

? Will you have been playing football?

? Will they have been watching TV?

When we use the future perfect continuous tense in speaking, we often contract the subject and
auxiliary verb:

I will I'll

you will you'll

he will he'll
she will she'll
it will it'll

we will we'll

they will they'll

For negative sentences in the future perfect continuous tense, we contract with won't, like this:

I will not I won't

you will not you won't

he will not he won't

she will not she won't
it will not it won't

we will not we won't

they will not they won't

How do we use the Future Perfect Continuous Tense?

We use the future perfect continuous tense to talk about a long action before some point in the
future. Look at these examples:

 I will have been working here for ten years next week.
 He will be tired when he arrives. He will have been travelling for 24
hours.