Picture This - The Tenses Illustrated Present Tenses | Past Tenses | Future Tenses | Examples
The Present Tenses Present Simple Present Simple
Used to say what someone usually does
I always study English on Tuesday.
Present Progressive/Continuous Present Progressive
Used to say what someone is doing now
I am studying English now
Used to show unfinished time
I have studied English twice this week.
Present Perfect Simple Present Perfect Simple
Present Perfect Progressive/Continuous
Present Perfect Progressive
Used to say how long someone has been doing something.
I have been studying English for 2 years.
I have been studying English since 1997.
I studied English last Saturday.
I was studying English last Monday when my friend rang.
I was studying English at 5pm last Monday.
The Past Tenses Simple Past Simple Past
Used to show a completed action
Past Progressive/Continuous Past Progressive
Often used to say when something was being done or what was happening when something else happened
Past Perfect Simple Past Perfect Simple
The past of have done. Used to say when something was done by.
I had done my English homework by 6.30 pm last Saturday.
I had done my English homework by the time I ate dinner last Saturday.
Past Perfect Progressive/Continuous Past Perfect Progressive
The past of have been. Used to show how long something was done for by a certain time.
I'd been doing my English homework for 30 minutes when my friend rang last Saturday.
I'd been doing my English homework for 30 minutes by 1 pm last Saturday.
The Future Tenses The future can be indicated in several different ways in English. It is often created with the use of auxiliaries: "She will be a student.", "She is going to drive a new car." English can even create the future by using the simple present (used for timetables,programs etc.), "The train arrives at 10pm" or the present progressive (used for future plans), "He is collecting his mother from the station tonight." Simple Future (uses will or shall or going to + base form)
Simple Future (Some uncertainty)
Decide to do something at the time of speaking
I think I'll do my English homework tonight.
Simple Future (Certain)
Have already decided or arranged to do something
I am going to study English next Saturday.
Future Progressive/Continous (uses will be, shall be or going to be +-ing form) Future Progressive (Some The English uncertainty) lesson should begin at 7.30 and end at 9.15, so the person should be studying at 7.30 (but the lesson might start late).
I will be starting my English lesson at 7.30 pm.
Future Progressive (Certain)
I am going to be studying English when my friends arrive at 9.00 pm.
The English lesson begins at 7.30 and ends at 9.15, so he's certain to be studying when his friend arrives at 8.00
Future Perfect Simple (uses will have or shall have + past participle)
Future Perfect Simple
Used to say something will already be complete by a time.
I will have already done my English homework by the time I eat dinner on Saturday.
Future Perfect Progressive/Continuous (uses will have been or shall have been + -ing form) Future Perfect Progressive
Used to say how long something will have been happening in the future by a certain time.
I will have been studying English for 30 minutes when my friends arrive.
Active voice
Simple
Continuous
Perfect
Perfect continuous
I am taking Present
I, we, you, they take he, she, it is taking
I, we, you, they have I, we, you, they have been taken taking
he, she, it takes we, you, they are taking
he, she it has taken
he, she it has been taking
had taken
had been taking
will have taken
will have been taking
I, he, she, it was taking Past
took we, you, they were taking
Future will take
will be taking
Passive voice
Present
Simple
Continuous
Perfect
I am taken
I am being taken
he, she, it is taken
I, we, you, they have he, she, it is being taken been taken
we, you, they are taken
we, you, they are being taken
he, she it has been taken
Perfect continuous
–
I, he, she, it was taken
I, he, she, it was being taken
Past
had been taken
–
will have been taken
–
we, you, they were we, you, they were being taken taken
Future will be taken
–
Table of English Tenses tense
Affirmative/Negative/Q uestion
Use
Simple Present
A: He speaks. N: He does not speak. Q: Does he speak?
Present Progressive
A: He is speaking. N: He is not speaking. Q: Is he speaking?
Signal Words
action in the present taking always, place once, every …, never or never, several times normally, often, facts seldom, actions taking sometimes, place one after usually another if sentences type I (If I action set by a talk, …) timetable or schedule
action taking place in the moment of speaking
action taking place only for a limited period
at the moment, just, just now, Listen!, Look!, now, right now
of time
Simple Past
A: He spoke. N: He did not speak. Q: Did he speak?
action arranged for the future
action in the past taking place once, never or several times
Past Progressive
Present Perfect Simple
A: He was speaking. N: He was not speaking. Q: Was he speaking?
A: He has spoken. N: He has not spoken. Q: Has he spoken?
yesterday, 2 minutes ago, in 1990, the actions taking other day, place one after last Friday if sentence another type II (If I action taking talked, …) place in the middle of another action
action going on at a certain time in the past
actions taking when, while, place at the as long as same time
action in the past that is interrupted by another action
putting emphasis on the result
action that is still going on
action that
already, ever, just, never, not yet, so far, till now, up to now
stopped recently
Present Perfect Progressive
Past Perfect Simple
A: He has been speaking. N: He has not been speaking. Q: Has he been speaking?
A: He had spoken. N: He had not spoken. Q: Had he spoken?
finished action that has an influence on the present
action that has taken place once, never or several times before the moment of speaking
putting emphasis on the course or duration (not the result)
action that recently stopped or is still going on
finished action that influenced the present
all day, for 4 years, since 1993, how long?, the whole week
already, just, action taking never, not place before a yet, once, certain time in until that day the past if sentence type III (If I sometimes interchangeabl had talked, …) e with past perfect progressive putting emphasis only on the fact (not
the duration)
Past Perfect Progressive
Future I Simple
A: He had been speaking. N: He had not been speaking. Q: Had he been speaking?
A: He will speak. N: He will not speak. Q: Will he speak?
action taking place before a certain time in the past
sometimes for, since, interchangeabl the whole e with past perfect simple day, all day
putting emphasis on the duration or course of an action
action in the future that cannot be influenced
Future I Simple
(going to)
Future I Progressive
A: He is going to speak. N: He is not going to speak. Q: Is he going to speak?
A: He will be speaking. N: He will not be speaking. Q: Will he be speaking?
in a year, next …, tomorrow If-Satz Typ I (If you ask her, she will spontaneous help you.) decision assumption: I think, assumption with regard to probably, the future perhaps
decision made for the future in one year, next week, conclusion with tomorrow regard to the future
action that is going on at a certain time in the future
in one year, next week, tomorrow
Future II Simple
A: He will have spoken. N: He will not have spoken. Q: Will he have spoken?
Future II Progressive
A: He will have been speaking. N: He will not have been speaking. Q: Will he have been speaking?
Conditional I Simple
A: He would speak. N: He would not speak. Q: Would he speak?
Conditional I Progressive
A: He would be speaking. N: He would not be speaking. Q: Would he be speaking?
Conditional II Simple
A: He would have spoken. N: He would not have spoken. Q: Would he have spoken?
action that is sure to happen in the near future
action that will by Monday, be finished at a certain time in in a week the future
action taking place before a certain time in for …, the the future last couple of hours, all day putting long emphasis on the course of an action
action that might take place
action that might take place
putting emphasis on the course / duration of the action
if sentences type II (If I were you, I would go home.)
if sentences type III action that (If I had seen might have taken place in that, I would have the past helped.)
Conditional II Progressive
A: He would have been speaking. N: He would not have been speaking. Q: Would he have been speaking?
action that might have taken place in the past
puts emphasis on the course / duration of the action
English tenses
These are examples of the English tenses. The table is provided to help you recall the different tenses studied in previous lessons. For more detailed explanations you should visit the Grammar Study Pages and study the different tenses. Other links related to English tenses
Tenses | Forms and Explanations Exercises on tenses. Explanations
Present Simple
Action that is repeated every Friday. Habitual action.
I visit my uncle every Friday
Facts that are believed to be true. Generalizations
Cats hate mice. The sun rises in the morning.
Scheduled events in the near future
The plane takes off at 10 o'clock tonight
Explanations
Present Progressive
Action that takes place now / at I am working on my computer the moment Near future Explanations
I am leaving tomorrow Present Perfect
To talk about experiences
I have been to Italy.
Past action that has the result in the present.
She has read that book.
Action which started in the past I have lived in this town for 12 years. and continued up to now. Explanations
Present Perfect Progressive
To show that something started in the past and has continued He has been sleeping for the last 3 hours up until now. To talk about an action that The grass is wet because it has been raining all started in the past and stopped day long. recently. To talk about an action that started in the past and is continuing now. Explanations Completed action in the past.
I have been watching TV for 2 hours / since you left. Past Simple She left yesterday.
To talk about an action that started in the past and stopped She woke up, had a shower and left. recently. To talk about an action that started in the past and is continuing now.
If I had a million dollar, I would help the poor.
An action taking place in the middle of another action.
She was playing when the accident occurred.
Explanations
Past Progressive
Actions happening at the same He was reading a newspaper while his wife was time in the past. preparing dinner. Interrupted action in the past. Explanations Completed action before another action in the past. Explanations
Sh was reading a book when the light went off, had a shower and left. Past Perfect Simple She had left when I arrived. Past Perfect Progressive
To show that something started They had been playing soccer when the in the past and continued up accident occurred until another action stopped it. To show that something started I had been living in that town for ten years in the past and continued up before I moved to New York. until another time in the past. We use the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past to show cause and effect. Explanations
I was so tired. I had been working for 6 hours.
Future Simple
Instant decisions
I've left the door open; I'll close it.
We use the simple future , when we predict a future situation
She'll pass the exam. She's hardworking.
We use the simple future with: "I (don't) think...", "I expect...", It will probably rain tonight "I am sure...", "I wonder...", "probably". Conditional sentence type one If I have enough time, I'll watch the film. Explanations
Future Progressive
Action that will be taking place When you arrive, I'll be sleeping . at some time in the future. Explanations Completed action before another action in the past Explanations It is used to show that an action will continue up until a particular event or time in the future.
Future Perfect By tomorrow, I will have finished the work. Future Perfect Progressive She will have been working for over 8 hours by the time her children arrive.
