THE SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE

The simple present expresses daily habits or usual activity.

The simple present expresses general statement fact.
Basically the simple present is used for events or situations
that exist always, usually, habitually in past, present and
future.

Examples:
• I take a shower every day.
• Johnson usually eats lunch at the cafeteria.
• The sun shines.
• The earth revolves around the sun.
STATEMENT
I/You/We/They work.
He/She/It works.

NEGATIVE
I/You/We/They do not work.
He/She/It does not work.

QUESTION
Do I/you/we/they work?
Does he/she/it work?

SHORT ANSWER
Yes, I do. No, I don’t.
Yes, he does. No, he doesn’t.
Yes, you do. No, you don’t.
Yes, she does. No, she doesn’t.
Yes, we do. No, we don’t.
Yes, it does. No, it doesn’t.
Yes, they do. No, they don’t.
USE PRESENT TENSE
In universally true statements not limited to a
particular time:
The sun is ninety million miles from Earth.
In definitions:
Hardware is the physical system of a
computer.
In statements about the content of literature
and other published works:
Hamlet is extremely indecisive.
 THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
The present progressive expresses an activity that is in
progress (is occurring, is happening) right now. The event is in
progress at the time the speaker is saying the sentence. The
event began in the past, is in progress now, and will probably
continue in the future.

Examples:
• Bob can’t come to the phone right now because he
is taking a shower.
• It’s noon. Johnson is eating lunch at the cafeteria right
now.
• It’s a nice day today. The sun is shining.
STATEMENT
I/You/We/They are working.
He/She/It is working.

NEGATIVE
I/You/We/They are not (aren’t) working.
He/She/It is not (isn’t) working.

QUESTION
Am I/Are you/Are we/Are they working?
Is he/she/it working?

SHORT ANSWER
Yes, I am. No, I ‘m not.
Yes, he is. No, he isn’t.
Yes, she is. No, she isn’t.
Yes, it is. No, it isn’t.
Yes, you are. No, you aren’t.
Yes, we are. No, we aren’t.
Yes, they are. No, they aren’t.
 THE SIMPLE PAST
The simple past indicates that an activity or situation
began and ended at a particular time in the past
(e.g., yesterday, last night, two days ago).

Examples:
Mary walked downtown yesterday
I slept for eight hours last night.
If a sentence contains when and has the simple past in both
clauses, the action in the “when clause” happens first.
The rain began.
I stood under a tree.

Examples:
I stood under a tree when it began to rain.
When she heard a strange noise, she got up to investigate.
When I dropped my cup, the coffee spilled on my lap.
STATEMENT
I/You/We/They/He/She/It worked.

NEGATIVE
I/You/We/They/He/She/It did not (didn’t) work.

QUESTION
Did I/you/we/they/he/she/it work?

SHORT ANSWER
Yes, I/You/We/They/He/She/It did.
No, I/You/We/They/He/She/It did not (didn’t).
USE PAST TENSE
For historical or past
information:
Malcolm X said, “If
you don’t stand for
something, you’ll fall
for anything.”
 THE PAST PROGRESIVE
The past progressive expresses an activity that was in
progress (was occurring, was happening, was happening), at
the particular time in the past.

Example:
• I sat down at the dinner table at 6:00 p.m. yesterday.
• My friend came to my house at 6:20 p.m.
• I was eating dinner when my friend came.

• I went to bed at 10:00. The phone rang 11:00.

• I was standing under a tree when it began to rain.
• At eight o’clock last night, I was studying.
• Last year at this time, I was attending school.
STATEMENT
You/We/They were working.
I/He/She/It was working.

NEGATIVE
You/We/They were not (weren’t) working.
I/He/She/It was not (wasn’t) working.

QUESTION
Were you/we/they working?
Was I/he/she/it working?

SHORT ANSWER
Yes, I was. No, I wasn’t.
Yes, he was. No, he wasn’t.
Yes, she was. No, she wasn’t.
Yes, it was. No, it wasn’t.
Yes, you were. No, you weren’t.
Yes, we were. No, we weren’t.
Yes, they were. No, they weren’t.
 THE PRESENT PERFECT
The present perfect expresses the idea that something
happened (or never happened) before now, at an unspecified
time in the past. The exact time it happened is not important.

Examples:
• They have moved into a new apartment.
• Have you ever visited Mexico?
• I have already seen that movie.
• I have never seen snow.
 The present perfect also expresses the repetition of an
activity before now. The exact time of each repetition is
not important.

Examples:
• We have had four tests so far third semester.
• I have written my wife a letter every other day for the last
two weeks.
• I have met many people since I came here in June.
• I have flown on an airplane many times.
 The present perfect also, when used with for or since,
expresses a situation that began in the past and continues to
the present.

Examples:
• I have been here since seven o’clock
• We have been here for two weeks.
• I have had this same pair of shoes for three years.
• I have liked cowboy movies ever since I was a child.
• I have known him for many years.
STATEMENT
I have finished my work. (I’ve finished my work)
Jim has eaten lunch. (He’s eaten lunch)

NEGATIVE
I have not (haven’t) finished my work
Jim has not (hasn’t) finished eating lunch.

QUESTION
Have you finished your work?
Has Jim eaten lunch?
How long have you lived here?

A: Have you seen that movie?

B: Yes, I have or No, I haven’t.
USE PRESENT PERFECT TENSE
(the present form of
have (have or has) with
a past participle verb
form)
For an action that began in
the past but continues into
the future:
I have lived in Pensacola
all my life.
 THE PRESENT PERFECT
PROGRESIVE
The present perfect progressive is used to indicate the
duration an activity that began in the past and continues to
the present.
When the tense has this meaning, it is used with time words
such as for, since, all morning, all day, all week.

Examples:
• I have been sitting here since seven o’clock.
• I have been sitting here for two hours.
• You have been studying for five straight hours.
• Why don’t you take a break?
• He has been watching TV since nine o’clock this morning.
• It has been raining all day. It is still raining right now.
When the tense is used without any specific mention of time,
it expresses a general activity in progress recently, lately.

Examples:
• I have been thinking about changing my major.
• All of the students have been studying hard.
• John has been doing a lot of work on his thesis.
• He should be finished by May.
• My back hurts, so I have been sleeping on the floor lately.
The bed is too soft.
With certain verbs (most notably live, work, teach) there is a
little or no difference in meaning between the two tenses
when since or for is used.

Examples:
• I have lived here since 1975.
• I have been living here since 1975.
• He has worked at the same store for ten years.
• He has been working at the same store for ten years
USING THE PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESIVE
Compare the present progressive and the
present perfect progressive.
PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
The present progressive expresses an activity that is in
progress (is happening) right now.
Example: I am sitting in class right now.

PRESENT PERFECT PROGRESSIVE

The present perfect progressive expresses the duration (the
length of time) of an activity that in progress.
Time expression with since or for are usually used with the
present perfect progressive.

Example: I have been sitting in class since 9 o’clock.

I have been sitting in class for 45 minutes.
 THE PAST PERFECT
The past perfect expresses an activity that was completed
before another activity or time in the past.
If either before or after is used in the sentence, the past
perfect is not necessary because the time relationship is
already clear.
The simple past may be used instead of the past perfect.

Examples:
• My parents had already eaten by the time I got home.
• Until yesterday, I had never heard about it.
• The thief simply walked in. Someone had forgotten to lock
the door.
• He had arrived before we got there.
• After the guests had left, I went to bed.
• After the guests left, I went to bed.
AFFIRMATIVE
I/You/We/They/He/She/It had eaten.

NEGATIVE
Had + Not = Hadn’t
I hadn’t eaten

CONTRACTIONS
I + had = I’d
It + had = It’d
He + had = he’d
She + had = she’d
We + had = we’d
You + had = you’d
They + had = they’d

Form of the past perfect: HAD + PARTICIPLE

 USING THE PAST PERFECT
Compare the present perfect and the past perfect:

PRESENT PERFECT
I am not hungry now.
I have already eaten.

The present perfect expresses an activity that occurred

“before now” at an unspecified time in the past.

PAST PERFECT
I was not hungry at 1: 00 p.m.
I had already eaten.

The past perfect expresses an activity that occurred before

another time in the past.
USE PAST PERFECT TENSE
(the past form of have
(had) with a past participle
verb form)
For an earlier action that is
mentioned after a later
action:
Marvin bought the car
that he had seen
advertised in the paper.
(First, he saw it; then he
bought it.)
THE SIMPLE FUTURE / BE GOING TO

Will or be going to is used to express future time.

Shall may be used with I or we, but will/be going to is more
commonly used.
In speech, going to is often pronounced, “gonna”.

Examples:
He will finish his work tomorrow.
He is going to finish his work tomorrow.
I will wash the dishes later.
I am going to wash the dishes later
A clause is a grammatical structure, which has a
subject and a verb.

A “time clause” begins with such words as when,

before, after, as soon as, until.

This words my be followed by a subject and verb:

When he come, we will see him.

When + subject + verb = time clause
 A future time is not used in a time clause.
The meaning of the clause is future, but the simple present
tense is used.

Examples:
• Bob will come soon. When Bob comes, we will see him.
• Linda will leave soon. Before she leaves, she is going to
finish her work.
• I will get home at 5:30. After I get home, I will dinner.
• The taxi will arrive in less than five minutes.
• As soon as the taxi arrives, we will be able to leave for the
airport.
• They are going to come soon. I will wait here until they
come
Occasionally, the present perfect is used in a time clause, as in
(b). Example (a) and (b) have the same meaning.
The present perfect stresses the completion of the act in the
time clause before the other act occurs in the future.

Examples:
I will go to bed after I finish my homework.
I will go to bed after I have finished my homework.
 FORM WITH ‘WILL’

STATEMENT
I/You/He/She/It/We/They will work tomorrow.

NEGATIVE
I/You/He/She/It/We/They will not (won’t) work tomorrow.

QUESTION
Will I/You/He/She/It/We/They work tomorrow?

SHORT ANSWER
Yes, I/You/He/She/It/We/They will.
No, I/You/He/She/It/We/They won’t.
THANK YOU