COMPENDIUM OF ENGLISH TENSES:

SIMPLE CONTINOUS PERFECT PERFECT CONTINOUS

1. Sth happening in
general, all the time
or repeatedly.
-My watch keeps good time.
2. Habitual axn,
general truth,
exclamatory
sentences.
-He takes milk every day.
-Here comes the bus!
PRESENT
1. Sth happening at
the time if
speaking.
-The boys are playing
hockey.
-It isn’t raining anymore.
2. Sth happening
around the time of
speaking
-I’m reading David
1. To talk abt an axn 1. Axn that began in
completed at an past and has recently
unspecified time/axn stopped.
that has stopped -Is it raining? No it isn’t. But
recently. the ground is wet. It has been
-I have already eaten raining.
breakfast.
2. Axn that began in
2. To talk abt an axn past and continues
that has started in up until now.
past and still -She has been working here

Copperfield (But not at this continues. for 15 yrs (still working)

tense

3. To express axn in
future or pas t
(talking abt time
tables, schedules
etc.).
-Our plane leaves at 8o’clock
tomorrow night.
moment) -I have smoked for 5 yrs (I still -It has been raining since I got
3. When we talk about smoke) up this morning.(still raining)
a period around -I smoked for 5 yrs( now I
the present don’t) 3. To express how long
-Tom isn’t playing football - I haven’t seen her since sth has been
this season. Christmas. happening.
-You are working hard -It has been raining for two hours.
today. 3. To describe a (status I’m waiting here for an hour.
4. To talk abt what of) a past activity
have already been that has a present
arranged or result.
personal -They haven’t finished their
arrangement. homework yet.
-My uncle is arriving
tomorrow
 SIMPLE
1. To talk abt an axn
completed in past.
Occurs with adverbs
or adverb of past tie
-I received his letter a week
ago.
2. To xprs past habits
-She always carried an
umbrella.
tense
Past
3. To ask when sth
happened
-When did it start raining? It
started raining an hour ago.
4. To say one thing
happened after
another.
-Last night Sue was taking a
bath when phone rang.
She got out of the bath tub
and answered the phone.
CONTINOUS
1. To say smone was
in the middle of
doing sth at a
certain time in
past.
-The light went out while I
was reading.
2. Past continuous &
simple past used
together to say sth
happened in the
middle of sth else.
-Dan burned his hand
while he was cooking
dinner.
PERFECT
1. To describe an axn
completed before a
certain moment in
past.
-When I arrived at the party,
tom had already gone home.
PERFECT CONTINOUS
1. To talk abt an axn
that began before a
certain point in the
past and continued
up to that time.
-At that time he had been
writing a novel for two
months.
2. To say how long sth
has been happening
before sth else
happened.
-They had been playing for
half an hour when there was
a terrible storm.