PRESENT AND PAST TENSES

PRESENT SIMPLE PRESENT CONTINUOUS PRESENT PERFECT PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Form: I play/He, she it plays Form: to be(am, is, are) + verb- Ing Form: have/has + past participle Form: have/has +been +ing
(o, x, ss, sh, ch + es) (consonant+y= ies) I am playing/ I am not playing/ Am I playing? I have broken the window I have been sleeping
I dont play/ He doesnt play -ING: *come: coming I havent broken the window I havent been sleeping
Do you play? Does he play? *put (CVC): putting Have I broken the window? Have I been sleeping?
Uses: - Habitual actions *cry (c+y): crying Uses: - actions and situations that happened at Use: actions that started in the past and
I usually get up at seven oclock *die: (ie): dying an unspecified time before the moment of still continues in the present, but the
- Universal truths: Use: actions that are happening at the speaking: process is emphasized.
Wood floats on water moment of speaking Ive never heard that pop group before She is dirty, she has been painting the
Time expressions: I am studying now - actions that happen in the past and still room
-Frequency Adverbs Time Expressions: happen, or are still true, in the moment of Sometimes, there is very little difference in me
+ Always Today, every week, Now, right now, at the moment speaking : between the present perfect simple and
Usually every month. Stative vebs: verbs that cannot be used in Ive played football since I was a child. continuous
Often Once a week, twice a the continuous form: like, hate love, want, Time expressions: I have lived here for two years
Sometimes day, three times a wish, prefer, believe, doubt, imagine, know, For(+ period of time), since(+ time when it I have been living here for two years
Rarely year understand, mean, remember, forget, need, started), just, already, yet(with negatives and But sometimes there is a big difference:
Hardly ever appear, seem, own, possess, belong to. questions), still(with negatives), lately, I have lived in London, Paris and Rome
- Never I am understanding* now *(mistake) recently, before, ever and never. I have been living in London since 2005
PAST SIMPLE PAST CONTINUOUS PAST PERFECT PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS
Form: regular verb: verb+ed: I worked Form: past to-be (was/were) + ing Form: had + past participle Form: had +been +ing
Irregular verb: irr. form: I went I was going/ I wasnt going/ Was I going? I had gone/ I hadnt gone/ Had I gone? I had been working
I didnt go/ Did I go? Use: an action or situation that was happeningUse:
in a we use the past perfect to refer to an I hadnt been working
ED: *CVC: CC+ED: prefer: preferred moment in the past action which happened before another action Had I been working?
* C+Y: IED: cry: cried Yesterday at five oclock, I was playing The patient had died when the doctor arrived Use: It describes an action in progress
Use: completed actions that happened in football with my friends (First, the patiend died. Then, the doctor arrived) throughout a period which happened
the past: Past simple vs Past Continuous -We often introduce the past perfect with before another action in the past.
I bought three CDs yesterday -We use the PC for an action or situation in conjunctions like when, after, before, by the She was very tired. She has been typing
Time expressions: the past which was already happening when time that. We use adverbs like already, ever, all day
Yesterday, the day before yesterday, another action or situation happened (PS) never (the process is emphasized)
Last week/month/ year I was walking down the street when I I had already eaten Past Perfect simple vs Continuous
Three days ago/two months ago had a great idea Past Simple vs Past Perfect -Past perfect simple: an action was
Past simple vs Present Perfect -We use the PC for an action or situation in Note the difference: completed then
Past simple: completed past actions the past which is interrupted or stopped by - When she phoned, he had left home When I got home, I found that Jill had
I bought a newspaper yesterday. another action or situation (PS) (He left before she phoned) painted the room(it emphasizes the result)
Present perfect: actions that happen in the While I was having a bath, the telephone - When she phoned, he left home -Past Perfect continuous: an action was
past and still happen in the moment of rang (She phoned and then, he left) uncompleted then
speaking Important words: when and while When I got home, I found that Jill had
I have believed in ghosts since I was a been painting the room (it emphasizes the
child process).