PRESENT, PAST AND FUTURE TENSES:

Basic contrasts: present simple and present continuous:

Present simple generally refers to:
-

Facts that are always true: Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.
Habits: British people drink a lot of tea.
States: I dont like romantic comedies
Some verbs are not normally used in the continuous form, because they describe activities
which already extend in time. These are called 'state' verbs: be, believe, cost, depend, have,
hear, know, matter, smell, suppose, taste, think, understand.

Key words: always, usually, often, sometimes, seldom, rarely, never, every day, on Sundays
etc.
Present continuous generally refers to: actions which are in progress at the moment:
-

They can be temporary: I am staying in a hotel until I find a flat.

They can be actually in progress at that precise moment: The dog is sleeping at our bed.
They can be generally in progress but not in that precise moment: I am learning how to drive.

Key words: now, right now, this quarter, at the moment etc.

Basic contrasts: past simple and past continuous.

Past simple generally refers to:
-

Completed actions: I got up, switched of the radio, and sat down again.
Habits: Everyday went to the park.
States: In those days, I didnt like reading.

Key words: yesterday, last week, last month, this morning (when meaning is past), when,
etc.
Past continuous generally refers to:
-

Actions in progress often interrupted by events.

While I was opening the letter, the phone rang / I was opening the letter when the phone
rang.

Background description in narrative:

I entered the office and looked around. Most people were working at their desks, but Jane was
staring out of the window and pretending to write something at the same time.

Changing states:
The car was getting worse all the time. One of the headlights was gradually falling of and
the engine was making more and more worrying noises.

Key words: while.

Perfect tenses: past and present.

Past perfect simple:

We use this verb tense when we are already talking about the past, and we want to go back to an
earlier past time.
Key words: already, before. by the time.
By the time I got to the station, she had left.
Present perfect simple:
-

Recent events without a definite time given (JUST).

Ive just seen a ghost!
Indefinite events, which happened at an unknown time in the past. No definite time is
given.
Jim has had three car accidents.
Indefinite events which may have an obvious result in the present.
I have lived here for the past ten years.
A habitual action in a period of time up to the present.
Ive been jogging every morning for the last month.

Key words: already, yet, just, ever, never, ___ times, since + a particular time, for + a
duration of time.
Contrast between past simple and present perfect simple:
Past simple time expressions which are definite, it may be stated or understood:
I have bought a new car (indefinite)
I bought a new car last week (definite)
I bought the car after all (the: a car that we have already talked about definite)
Key words: Indefinite time might also mean up to now: since 1968, already.
Future time:
Basic contrasts: will, going to, present continuous.
Will is normally known as the predictive future, and describes known facts, or what we suppose is true
Ill be home this evening. This can also take form of an assumption Thatll be Jim at the door (I
suppose its him).
It can also be used to express an immediate decision I will take this one.
Be going to describes intentions or plans. At the moment of speaking the plans have already been
made. It is also used to describe an event whose cause is present or evident. I am going to wait
until Carol comes back Look at that tree, it is going to fall!
Key words: tomorrow, next week, next month, etc.
Present continuous describes fixed arrangements(specially social and traveling): Im going to
have a party next week.
Future continuous:
Future continuous describes an event which will be happening at a future point: I will be painting in the
kitchen.

It can also describe events which are going to happen anyway & fixed arrangements: The band will be
performing in Rome.
Key words: for