ALL TENSES

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Present Simple
The Present Simple tense is the most basic tense in English and uses the base form
of the verb (except for the verb be). The only change from the base is the addition
of s for third person singular.

How do we make the Present Simple tense?

There are two basic structures for the Present Simple:

1. Positive sentences

subject + main verb

Present Simple

2. Negative and question sentences

subject + auxiliary do + main verb

conjugated in Present Simple

do, does base

Look at these examples with the main verb like:

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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?

From the above table, notice the following points...

For positive sentences:

 There is no auxiliary verb.

 We conjugate the main verb by adding s to the third person singular.

For negative and question sentences:

 The auxiliary verb (do) is conjugated in the Present Simple: do, does

 The main verb is invariable in base form: base

 For negative sentences, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and
the main verb.

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 For question sentences, we exchange the subject and the auxiliary

verb.

Emphatic do
Normally, for positive sentences we do not use the auxiliary verb do. But if we
want to emphasize (stress) something, we may use it. For example, instead of
saying "I like your dress", we could say "I do like your dress", just to show how
much we like it. Here are some more examples:

 I do wish you'd stop.

 I do apologize.

 You do look smart today.

Present Simple with main verb be

The structure of the Present Simple with the main verb be is:

subject + main verb be

conjugated in Present Simple

am, are, is

Look at these examples with the main verb be:

subject main verb be

+ I am French.

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subject main verb be

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?

From the above table, notice the following points...

 There is no auxiliary verb, even for questions and negatives.

 The main verb (be) is conjugated in the Present Simple: am, are, is

 For negative sentences, we insert not after the main verb.

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 For question sentences, we exchange the subject and the main verb.

How do we use the Present Simple tense?

We use the Present Simple to talk about:

 general time (action verbs)

 situations now (stative verbs)

 general time and situations now (verb be)

Present Simple for general time

We use the Present Simple 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.

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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 meet every Thursday.

 We do not work at night.

 Do you play football?

Present Simple for now

For stative verbs, we can use the Present Simple to talk about now. Stative verbs do
not describe action. They describe state, and are verbs such as: like, sound, belong to,
need, seem. We can use these verbs with the Present Simple tense to talk about about
a situation at the present time, not general.

I want a coffee.
That sounds interesting.
Do you need some help?

past present future

The situation is
now.

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Present Simple for general time and now

The verb be is always special. It is a stative verb, and we use it in the Present Simple
tense to talk about nowsituations and about general situations. Look at these examples
of the verb be in the Present Simple tense - some are general and some are now:

I am not fat.
Why are you so beautiful?
Ram is tall.

past present future

The situation is general. Past, present and future.

Am I right?
Tara is not at home.
We are hungry.

past present future

The situation is
now.

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Present Continuous
(also called Present Progressive)

We often use the Present Continuous tense in English. It is very different from
the Present Simple 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 be + main verb

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conjugated in Present Simple

am, are, is present participle (-ing)

The auxiliary verb (be) is conjugated in the Present Simple: am, are, is

The main verb is invariable in present participle form: -ing

For negative sentences we insert notbetween the auxiliary verb and the main verb.

For question sentences, we exchangethe subject and the auxiliary verb.

Look at these example sentences with the Present Continuous tense:

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?

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subject auxiliary verb main verb

? Are they waiting for John?

How do we use the Present Continuous tense?

We use the Present Continuous to talk about:

 action happening now

 action in the future

Present Continuous for action happening now

a) for action happening exactly now

I am eating my lunch.

past present future

The action is happening

now.

Look at these images. Right now you are looking at this screen and at the same time...

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the pages are turning the candle is burning the numbers are spinning

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 looking for a new job.

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.

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Present Continuous 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

exists now. in the future.

Look at these examples:

 We're eating at Joe's Cafe 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, a firm plan or programme exists before speaking. The decision
and plan were made beforespeaking.

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.

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Basic rule Just add -ing to the base verb:

work → working

play → playing

assist → assisting

see → seeing

be → being

Exception If the base verb ends in consonant + stressed vowel + consonant, double the last letter:

s t o p

consonant stressed consonant

vowel

vowels = a, e, i, o, u

stop → stopping

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run → running

begin → beginning

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

open → opening

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

lie → lying

die → dying

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

come → coming

mistake → mistaking

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Present Perfect Tense

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 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.

In this lesson we look at the structureand use of the Present Perfect tense,
as well as the use of for and since, followed by a quiz to check your
understanding.i

The Present Perfect tense is really a very interesting tense, and a very useful
one. Try not to translate the Present Perfect into your language. Just try to
accept the concepts of this tense and learn to "think" Present Perfect! You will
soon learn to like the Present Perfect tense!

How do we make the Present Perfect tense?

The structure of the Present Perfect is:

subject + auxiliary have + main verb

conjugated in Present Simple

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have, has past participle

The auxiliary verb (have) is conjugated in the Present Simple: have, has

The main verb is invariable in past participle form: -ed (or irregular)

For negative sentences we insert notbetween the auxiliary verb and the main
verb.

For question sentences, we exchangethe subject and the auxiliary verb.

Look at these example sentences with 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 played football.

? Have you finished?

? Have they done it?

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Contraction with Present Perfect

When we use the Present Perfect in speaking, we often contract the subject
and auxiliary verb. We also sometimes do this in informal writing.

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

 You've told me that before.

 John's seen Harry Potter.

In negative sentences, we may contract the auxiliary verb and "not":

 You haven't won the contest.

 She hasn't heard from him.

He's or he's??? Be careful! The 'scontraction is used for the auxiliary

verbs have and be. For example, "It's eaten" can mean:

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 It has eaten. (Present Perfect tense, active voice)

 It is eaten. (Present Simple tense, passive voice)

It is usually clear from the context.

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.

We use the Present Perfect to talk about:

 experience

 change

 continuing situation

Present Perfect for experience

We often use the Present Perfect 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 an alien.

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

past present future

!!!

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The action or state was In my head, I have a

in 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
Present Perfect for change
We also use the Present Perfect to talk about a change, or new information:

I have bought a car.

past present future

- +

Last week I didn't have a Now I have a

car. car.

John has broken his leg.

past present future

+ -

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Yesterday John had a Now he has a bad

good leg. leg.

Has the price gone up?

past present future

+ -

Was the price $1.50 Is the price $1.70

yesterday? today?

The police have arrested the killer.

past present future

- +

Yesterday the killer was Now he is in

free. prison.

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

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

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Americans do use the Present Perfect but less than British speakers.
Americans often use the Past Simple tense instead. An American might say
"Did you have lunch?", where a British person would say "Have you had
lunch?"

Present Perfect for continuing situation

We often use the Present Perfect 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 situation (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 (for)?

past present future

The situation started It continues up to (It will probably

in the past. now. continue into 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 perfect tenses:

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 We use for to talk about a period of time: five minutes, two weeks, six
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

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ever the beginning of time

etc etc

Look at these example sentences using for and since with the Present Perfect
tense:

 I have been here for twenty minutes.

 I have been here since 9 o'clock.

 John hasn't called for six 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.

For can be used with all tenses. Since is usually used with perfect tenses
only.

Present Perfect Continuous

The Present Perfect Continuous uses two auxiliary verbs together with a main
verb.

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In this lesson we look at the structure and use of the Present Perfect
Continuous tense, as well as the use of for and since, followed by a quizto
check your understanding.

Note that continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses. So the
Present Perfect Continuous tense is sometimes called the Present Perfect
Progressive tense.

How do we make the Present Perfect Continuous tense?

The structure of the Present Perfect Continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary have + auxiliary be + main verb

conjugated in Present Simple past participle

have, has been present participle

The first auxiliary (have) is conjugated in the Present Simple: have, has

The second auxiliary (be) is invariable in past participle form: been

The main verb is invariable in present participle form: -ing

For negative sentences we insert notafter the first auxiliary verb.

For question sentences, we exchangethe subject and first auxiliary verb.

Look at these example sentences with the Present Perfect Continuous tense:

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subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main 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?

Contraction with Present Perfect Continuous

When we use the Present Perfect Continuous tense in speaking, we often
contract the subject and the first auxiliary verb. We also sometimes do this in
informal writing.

I have been I've been

You have been You've been

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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

 I've been reading.

 Jenny's been helping us recently.

In negative sentences, we may contract the first auxiliary verb and "not":

 I haven't been playing tennis.

 It hasn't been snowing.

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.

We use the Present Perfect Continuous to talk about:

 past action recently-stopped

 past action still-continuing

Present Perfect Continuous for past action just stopped

We use the Present Perfect Continuous tense to talk about action that started
in the past and stopped recently. There is usually a result now.

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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.

Present Perfect Continuous for past action continuing now

We use the Present Perfect Continuous tense to talk about 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

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Action started in Action is continuing

past. 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 learningEnglish? (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 perfect tenses:

 We use for to talk about a period of time: three hours, two months, one
decade

 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

------------ -•----------

30 minutes 10.00am

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four days Friday

3 months March

2 years 2010

3 centuries 1700

ages I left school

ever the beginning of time

etc etc

Look at these example sentences using for and since with the Present Perfect
Continuous tense:

 I have been studying for three hours.

 I have been watching TV since 7pm.

 Tara hasn't been feeling well for two weeks.

 Tara hasn't been visiting us sinceMarch.

 He has been playing football for a long time.

 He has been living in Bangkok sincehe left school.

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For can be used with all tenses. Since is usually used with perfect tenses
only.

Past Simple

The Past Simple tense is sometimes called the "preterite tense". We can use
several tenses and forms to talk about the past, but the Past Simple tense is
the one we use most often.

In this lesson we look at the structureand use of the Past Simple tense,
followed by a quiz to check your understanding.

How do we make the Past Simple tense?

There are two basic structures for the Past Simple tense:

1. Positive sentences

subject + main verb

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Past Simple

2. Negative and question sentences

subject + auxiliary do + main verb

conjugated in Past Simple

did base

Look at these examples with the main verbs go (irregular) and work (regular):

subject auxiliary verb main verb

+ I went to school.

You worked very hard.

- She did not go with me.

We did not work yesterday.

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subject auxiliary verb main verb

? Did you go to London?

Did they work at home?

From the above table, notice the following points...

For positive sentences:

 There is no auxiliary verb.

 The main verb is conjugated in the Past Simple, invariable: -ed (or
irregular)

For negative and question sentences:

 The auxiliary is conjugated in the Past Simple, invariable: did

 The main verb is invariable in base form: base

 For negative sentences, we insert not between the auxiliary verb and
main verb.

 For question sentences, we exchange the subject and the auxiliary

verb.

Emphatic did
Normally, for positive sentences we do not use the auxiliary did. But if we
want to emphasize (stress) something, or contradict something, we may use
it. For example: "I didn't use a spellchecker but I did use a dictionary." Here
are some more examples:
 "Why didn't you go to the party?" / "I did go."

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 It did seem a bit strange.

 After drinking it I did in fact feel better.

Past Simple with main verb be

The structure of the Past Simple with the main verb be is:

subject + main verb be

conjugated in Past Simple

was, were

Look at these examples with the main verb be:

subject main verb be

+ 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.

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subject main verb be

? Was I, he/she/it right?

Were you, we, they late?

From the above table, notice the following points...

 There is no auxiliary verb, even for questions and negatives.

 The main verb (be) is conjugated in the Past Simple: was, were

 For negative sentences, we insert not after the main verb.

 For question sentences, we exchange the subject and the main verb.

How do we use the Past Simple tense?

We use the Past Simple 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 Past Simple:

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

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The action is in the past.

Here are some long events with the Past Simple 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 Past Simple tense when:

 the event is in the past

 the event is completely finished

 we say (or understand) the timeand/or place of the event

In general, if we say the past time or place of the event, we must use the
Past Simple tense; we cannot use the present perfect.

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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 Past Simple. We may start
with the Past Continuous tense to "set the scene", but we almost always use
the Past Simple 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 ordereda drink at the bar. He sat down in the
corner of the lounge and quietly drankhis..."

This page shows the use of the Past Simple tense to talk about past events.
But note that there are some other uses for the Past Simple, for example
in conditional or ifsentences.

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Past Continuous

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 the structureand the use of the Past Continuous
tense, followed by a quiz to check your understanding.

Note that continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses. So the Past
Continuous tense is sometimes called the Past Progressive tense.

How do we make the Past Continuous tense?

The structure of the past continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary be + main verb

conjugated in Past Simple

was, were present participle

The auxiliary verb (be) is conjugated in the Past Simple: was, were

The main verb is invariable in present participle form: -ing

For negative sentences we insert notbetween the auxiliary verb and the main
verb.

For question sentences, we exchangethe subject and the auxiliary verb.

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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?

The spelling rules for adding -ing to make the Past Continuous tense are the
same as for the Present Continuous tense.

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.

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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.

Note that some verbs cannot be used in continuous/progressive tenses.

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 Past Simple tense. Here is an example:

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"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 + Past Simple

We often use the Past Continuous tense with the Past Simple tense. We use
the Past Continuous to express a longaction. And we use the Past Simple 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

2. short action (telephoned), expressed with Past Simple

past present future

long action:
I was watching TV from 7pm
to 9pm.

8pm

short action:
You phoned at 8pm.

We can join these two actions with when:

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 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 (Past Simple)

 while + long action (Past Continuous)

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.

 "Watching TV" took two hours. "Telephoned" took a few seconds.

 "Walking past the car" took a few seconds. "Exploded" took illiseconds.

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Past Perfect

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 the structureand use of the Past Perfect tense,
followed by a quiz to check your understanding.

How do we make the Past Perfect tense?

The structure of the Past Perfect tense is:

subject + auxiliary have + main verb

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conjugated in Past Simple

had past participle

The auxilary verb (have) is conjugated in the Past Simple: had

The main verb is invariable in past participle form: -ed (or irregular)

For negative sentences we insert notbetween the auxiliary verb and the main
verb.

For question sentences, we exchangethe subject and the 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?

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? Had they eaten dinner?

Contraction with Past Perfect

When we use the Past Perfect in speaking, we often contract the subject and
the auxiliary verb. We also sometimes do this in informal writing:

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

 I'd eaten already.

 They'd gone home.

In negative sentences, we may contract the auxiliary verb and "not":

 I hadn't finished my meal.

 Anthony hadn't had a day off for months.

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The 'd contraction is also used for the auxiliary verb would. For
example, we'd can mean:

 We had, OR

 We would

But usually the main verb is in a different form, for example:

 We had arrived (past participle)

 We would arrive (base)

It is always clear from the context.

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

9:00

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9:00 9:15

We arrive in past at 9:15

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 hadnever 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 nowthe time is before.

have
done
→

had
done
→

past present future

For example, imagine that you arrive at the station at 9:15am. The
stationmaster says to you:

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 "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 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

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The Past Perfect Continuous is another tense that expresses the "past in the
past".

In this lesson we look at the structureand use of the Past Perfect Continuous
tense, followed by a quiz to check your understanding.

Note that continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses. So the Past
Perfect Continuous tense is sometimes called the Past Perfect Progressive
tense.

How do we make the Past Perfect Continuous tense?

The structure of the Past Perfect Continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary have + auxiliary be + main verb

conjugated in Past Simple past participle

had been present participle

The first auxiliary verb (have) is conjugated in the Past Simple, invariable: had

The second auxiliary verb (be) is invariable in past participle form: been

The main verb is invariable in present participle form: -ing

For negative sentences we insert notafter the first auxiliary verb.

For question sentences, we exchangethe subject and the first auxiliary verb.

Look at these example sentences with the Past Perfect Continuous tense:

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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?

Contraction with Past Perfect Continuous

When we use the Past Perfect Continuous in speaking, we often contract the
subject and the first auxiliary verb. We also sometimes do this in informal
writing.

I had been I'd been

you had been you'd been

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he had been 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

 He'd been drinking all day.

 It'd been pouring with rain.

In negative sentences, we may contract the first auxiliary verb and "not":

 We hadn't been living there long.

 They hadn't been studying very hard.

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.

past present future

Ram starts waiting in past

at 9am.

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9 11

I arrive in past at 11am.

Ram had been waiting for two hours when I arrived.

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 before.

have
been
doing
→

had
been
doing
→

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past present 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."

 Future Simple

The Future Simple tense is often called the "will tense" because we make
the Future Simple with the modal auxiliary will.
How do we make the Future Simple tense?

The structure of the Future Simple tense is:

subject + auxiliary will + main verb

invariable base

will V1

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For negative sentences in the Future Simple 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
Future Simple 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?

We sometimes use shall instead of will, especially for I and we.

Contraction with Future Simple

When we use the Future Simple tense in speaking, we often contract the
subject and auxiliary verb:

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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

In negative sentences, 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

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they will not they won't

How do we use the Future Simple tense?

No Plan
We use the Future Simple 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 watchtelevision tonight.

In these examples, we had no firm plan before speaking. The decision is

made at the time of speaking.

We often use the Future Simple 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.

Prediction
We often use the Future Simple 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?

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Be
When the main verb is be, we can use the Future Simple 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?

Note that when we have a plan or intention to do something in the future, we

usually use other tenses or expressions, such as the present
continuous or going to.

Future Continuous

The Future Continuous tense is often used in English as a way to talk about
something happening at a given point in the future.

How do we make the Future Continuous tense?

The structure of the Future Continuous tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb WILL + auxiliary verb BE + main verb

invariable invariable present participle

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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:

subject auxiliary verb auxiliary verb main verb

+ I will be working at 10am.

+ You will be lying on a beach 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?

We sometimes use shall instead of will, especially for I and we.

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Contraction with Future Continuous

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

In negative sentences, we may contract with won't, like this:

I will not I won't

you will not you won't

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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 have started 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.

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 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 rainingwhen you return.

Note that continuous tenses are also called progressive tenses. So the
Future Continuous tense is sometimes called the Future Progressive tense.

Future Perfect

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

How do we make the Future Perfect tense?

The structure of the Future Perfect tense is:

subject + auxiliary verb WILL + auxiliary verb HAVE + main verb

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invariable Invariable past 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?

Contraction with Future Perfect

In speaking with the Future Perfect tense, we often contract
the subject and will. Sometimes, we may contract
the subject, will and have all together:

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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

 I'll have finished when you arrive.

 She'll have forgotten everything.

 They'll've had their dinner by then.

In negative sentences, we may contract with won't or won't've, like this:

 Anthony won't have arrived by then.

 They won't've finished the car tomorrow.

We sometimes use shall instead of will, especially for I and we.

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:

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 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?"

You can sometimes think of the Future Perfect tense like the Present Perfect
tense, but instead of your viewpoint being in the present, it is in the future:

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have
done
→

will
have
done
→

past present future

Future Perfect Quiz

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