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VERB TENSES SIMPLE PRESENT Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens. It can also be something a person often forgets or usually does not do.

play tennis. does not play tennis.

The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believes that a fact was true before, is true now, and will be true in the future. It is not important if the speaker is correct about the fact. It is also used to make generalizations about people or things.

like milk. do not like milk.

Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk about scheduled events in the near future. This is most commonly done when talking about public transportation, but it can be used with other scheduled events as well.

leaves tonight at 6 PM. does not arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at 11 PM.

Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to express the idea that an action is happening or is not happening now. This can only be done with Non-Continuous Verbs and certain Mixed Verbs.

am here now. does not need help now.

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SIMPLE PAST Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.

saw a movie yesterday. didn't see a play yesterday.

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We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.

finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim. The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.

lived in Brazil for two years. studied Japanese for five years.

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the past. It can have the same meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually, never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.

studied French when I was a child. played the violin.

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SIMPLE FUTURE Simple Future has two different forms in English: "will" and "be going to." Although the two forms can sometimes be used interchangeably, they often express two very different meanings. These different meanings might seem too abstract at first, but with time and practice, the differences will become clear. Both "will" and "be going to" refer to a specific time in the future. "Will" to Express a Voluntary Action "Will" often suggests that a speaker will do something voluntarily. A voluntary action is one the speaker offers to do for someone else. Often, we use "will" to respond to someone else's complaint or request for help. We also use "will" when we request that someone help us or volunteer to do something for us. Similarly, we use "will not" or "won't" when we refuse to voluntarily do something.

will send you the information when I get it. will translate the email, so Mr. Smith can read it.

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"Will" to Express a Promise "Will" is usually used in promises.

will call you when I arrive. will not tell him about the surprise party.

"Be going to" to Express a Plan "Be going to" expresses that something is a plan. It expresses the idea that a person intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the plan is realistic or not.

is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii. is not going to spend her vacation in Hawaii.

"Will" or "Be Going to" to Express a Prediction Both "will" and "be going to" can express the idea of a general prediction about the future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the future. In "prediction" sentences, the subject usually has little control over the future. In the following examples, there is no difference in meaning.

will be a very interesting year. is going to be a very interesting year.

IMPORTANT In the Simple Future, it is not always clear which USE the speaker has in mind. Often, there is more than one way to interpret a sentence's meaning.

_____________________________________________________________________ PRESENT CONTINUOUS Use the Present Continuous with Normal Verbs to express the idea that something is happening now, at this very moment. It can also be used to show that something is not happening now.

are learning English now. are not swimming now.

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In English, "now" can mean: this second, today, this month, this year, this century, and so on. Sometimes, we use the Present Continuous to say that we are in the process of doing a longer action which is in progress; however, we might not be doing it at this exact second.

am studying to become a doctor. am not studying to become a dentist.

Sometimes, speakers use the Present Continuous to indicate that something will or will not happen in the near future.

am meeting some friends after work. am not going to the party tonight.

The Present Continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking often happens. Notice that the meaning is like Simple Present, but with negative emotion. Remember to put the words "always" or "constantly" between "be" and "verb+ing."

is always coming to class late. is constantly talking. I wish he would shut up.

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PAST CONTINUOUS Use the Past Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually a shorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.

was watching TV when she called. was writing a letter.

As described above, the Past Continuous is interrupted by a shorter action in the Simple Past. However, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

was eating dinner. were still driving through the desert.

IMPORTANT In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to show when an action began or finished. In the Past Continuous, a specific time only interrupts the action.

, I ate dinner. I STARTED EATING AT 6 PM. was eating dinner. I STARTED EARLIER; AND AT 6 PM, I WAS IN THE

PROCESS OF EATING DINNER.

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When you use the Past Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actions were happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

was studying while he was making dinner. was reading, Tim was watching television.

Atmosphere In English, we often use a series of parallel actions to describe the atmosphere at a particular time in the past.

were busily typing, some were talking on the phones, the boss was yelling directions, and customers were waiting to be helped. One customer was yelling at a secretary and waving his hands. Others were complaining to each other about the bad service. The Past Continuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" between "be" and "verb+ing, expresses the idea that something irritating or shocking often happened in the past. The concept is very similar to the expression "used to" but with negative emotion.

was always coming to class late. was constantly talking. He annoyed everyone.

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FUTURE CONTINUOUS

Future Continuous has two different forms: "will be doing " and "be going to be doing." Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Continuous forms are usually interchangeable.

will be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight. are going to be waiting for her when her plane arrives tonight.

REMEMBER: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Continuous with little difference in meaning. Use the Future Continuous to indicate that a longer action in the future will be interrupted by a shorter action in the future. Remember this can be a real interruption or just an interruption in time.

will be waiting for you when your bus arrives.

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As described above, the Future Continuous is interrupted by a short action in the future. In addition to using short actions as interruptions, you can also use a specific time as an interruption.

am going to be eating dinner. I WILL BE IN THE PROCESS OF EATING DINNER. will still be driving through the desert. WE WILL BE IN THE PROCESS OF

DRIVING THROUGH THE DESERT. REMEMBER In the Simple Future, a specific time is used to show the time an action will begin or end. In the Future Continuous, a specific time interrupts the action.

am going to eat dinner. I AM GOING TO START EATING AT 6 PM. PM, I am going to be eating dinner. I AM GOING TO START EARLIER AND I WILL BE

IN THE PROCESS OF EATING DINNER AT 6 PM. When you use the Future Continuous with two actions in the same sentence, it expresses the

idea that both actions will be happening at the same time. The actions are parallel.

am going to be studying and he is going to be making dinner. will be eating dinner, discussing their plans, and having a good time.

Atmosphere in the Future In English, we often use a series of Parallel Actions to describe atmosphere at a specific point in the future.

is going to be celebrating. Some will be dancing. Others are going to be talking. A few people will be eating pizza, and several people are going to be drinking beer. They always do the same thing.

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PRESENT PERFECT We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happened at an unspecified time before now. The exact time is not important. You CANNOT use the Present Perfect with specific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in, at that moment, that day, one day, etc. We CAN use the Present Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever, never, once, many times, several times, before, so far, already, yet, etc.

have seen that movie twenty times. have met him once before.

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How Do You Actually Use the Present Perfect? The concept of "unspecified time" can be very confusing to English learners. It is best to associate Present Perfect with the following topics: Experience You can use the Present Perfect to describe your experience. It is like saying, "I have the experience of..." You can also use this tense to say that you have never had a certain experience. The Present Perfect is NOT used to describe a specific event.

have been to France. THIS SENTENCE MEANS THAT YOU HAVE HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN FRANCE. MAYBE YOU HAVE BEEN THERE ONCE, OR SEVERAL TIMES.

have been to France 3 times. YOU CAN ADD THE NR OF TIMES @ THE END OF THE SENTENCE. Change Over Time We use the Present Perfect to talk about change that has happened over a period of time.

have grown since the last time I saw you. has become more interested in arts education.

Accomplishments We often use the Present Perfect to list the accomplishments of individuals and humanity. You cannot mention a specific time.

has walked on the Moon. has learned how to read.

An Uncompleted Action You Are Expecting We often use the Present Perfect to say that an action which we expected has not happened. Using the Present Perfect suggests that we are still waiting for the action to happen.

has not finished his homework yet. hasn't mastered Thai, but she can communicate.

Multiple Actions at Different Times We also use the Present Perfect to talk about several different actions which have occurred in the past at different times. Present Perfect suggests the process is not complete and more actions are possible.

has attacked that city five times. have had four quizzes and five tests so far this semester.

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PAST PERFECT Completed Action Before Something in the Past The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past.

had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai. had lost my wallet.

Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-Continuous Verbs) Continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past.

had had that car for ten years before it broke down. the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for over eight years.

Unlike with the Present Perfect, it is possible to use specific time words or phrases with the Past Perfect. Although this is possible, it is usually not necessary.

had visited her Thai relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996. MOREOVER If the Past Perfect action did occur at a specific time, the Simple Past can be used instead of the Past Perfect when "before" or "after" is used in the sentence. The words "before" and "after" actually tell you what happens first, so the Past Perfect is optional. HOWEVER If the Past Perfect is not referring to an action at a specific time, Past Perfect is not optional. Compare the examples below. Here Past Perfect is referring to a lack of experience rather than an action at a specific time. For this reason, Simple Past cannot be used.

saw a bear before she moved to Alaska. Not Correct had never seen a bear before she moved to Alaska. Correct

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FUTURE PERFECT Future Perfect has two different forms: "will have done" and "be going to have done." Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Perfect forms are usually interchangeable. NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to" to create the Future Perfect with little or no difference in meaning. Completed Action Before Something in the Future The Future Perfect expresses the idea that something will occur before another action in the future. It can also show that something will happen before a specific time in the future.

will have received my promotion. e gets home, she is going to have cleaned the entire house.

Notice in the examples above that the reference points (marked in italics) are in Simple Present rather than Simple Future. This is because the interruptions are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses. Duration Before Something in the Future (Non-Continuous Verbs) With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Future Perfect to show that something will continue up until another action in the future.

will have been in London for six months by the time I leave. is going to have had my book for a week.

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PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS We use the Present Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and has continued up until now. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Tuesday" are all durations which can be used with the Present Perfect Continuous.

have been talking for the last hour. has been working at that company for three years.

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You can also use the Present Perfect Continuous WITHOUT a duration such as "for two weeks." Without the duration, the tense has a more general meaning of "lately." We often use the words "lately" or "recently" to emphasize this meaning.

have been feeling really tired. has been watching too much television lately.

IMPORTANT Remember that the Present Perfect Continuous has the meaning of "lately" or "recently." If you use the Present Perfect Continuous in a question such as "Have you been feeling alright?", it can suggest that the person looks sick or unhealthy. A question such as "Have you been smoking?" can suggest that you smell the smoke on the person. Using this tense in a question suggests you can see, smell, hear or feel the results of the action. It is possible to insult someone by using this tense incorrectly.

_____________________________________________________________________ PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS We use the Past Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the past and continued up until another time in the past. "For five minutes" and "for two weeks" are both durations which can be used with the Past Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous; however, the duration does not continue until now, it stops before something else in the past.

had been talking for over an hour before Tony arrived. had been working at that company for three years when it went out of business.

Cause of Something in the Past Using the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past is a good way to show cause and effect.

had been jogging. had been overeating.

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Past Continuous vs. Past Perfect Continuous If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday," many English speakers choose to use the Past Continuous rather than the Past Perfect Continuous. Be careful because this can change the meaning of the sentence. Past Continuous emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas Past Perfect Continuous emphasizes a duration of time before something in the past.

because he was exercising so hard. THIS SENTENCE EMPHASIZES THAT HE WAS TIRED BECAUSE HE WAS EXERCISING AT THAT EXACT MOMENT.

had been exercising so hard. THIS SENTENCE EMPHASIZES THAT HE WAS TIRED BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN EXERCISING OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HE WAS STILL EXERCISING AT THAT MOMENT OR THAT HE HAD JUST FINISHED.

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FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS Future Perfect Continuous has two different forms: "will have been doing " and "be going to have been doing." Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Perfect Continuous forms are usually interchangeable. Duration Before Something in the Future We use the Future Perfect Continuous to show that something will continue up until a particular event or time in the future. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since Friday" are all durations which can be used with the Future Perfect Continuous. Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous and the Past Perfect Continuous; however, with Future Perfect Continuous, the duration stops at or before a reference point in the future.

will have been talking for over an hour by the time Thomas arrives. is going to have been working at that company for three years when it finally closes.

Notice in the examples above that the reference points (marked in italics) are in Simple Present rather than Simple Future. This is because these future events are in time clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in time clauses. Cause of Something in the Future Using the Future Perfect Continuous before another action in the future is a good way to show cause and effect.

will have been jogging for over an hour. is going to have

been studying English in the United States for over two years.

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Future Continuous vs. Future Perfect Continuous If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday," many English speakers choose to use the Future Continuous rather than the Future Perfect Continuous. Be careful because this can change the meaning of the sentence. Future Continuous emphasizes interrupted actions, whereas Future Perfect Continuous emphasizes a duration of time before something in the future

ll be tired because he will be exercising so hard. THIS SENTENCE EMPHASIZES THAT HE WILL BE TIRED BECAUSE HE WILL BE EXERCISING AT THAT EXACT MOMENT IN THE FUTURE.

will have been exercising so hard. THIS SENTENCE EMPHASIZES THAT HE WILL BE TIRED BECAUSE HE WILL HAVE BEEN EXERCISING FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HE WILL STILL BE EXERCISING AT THAT MOMENT OR THAT HE WILL JUST HAVE FINISHED. Like all future forms, the Future Perfect Continuous cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Future Perfect Continuous, Present Perfect Continuous is used.

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REVIEW EXERCISES - Cumulative Verb Tense Review

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses.

1. You look really great! (you, work) ____________________ out at the fitness center recently?

2. A: What (you, do) ____________________ when the accident occurred?

B: I (try) ____________________ to change a light bulb that had burnt out.

3. I (have) ____________________ the same car for more than ten years. I'm thinking about buying a

new one.

4. If it (snow) ____________________ this weekend, we (go) ____________________ skiing near Lake

Tahoe.

5. A: What do you call people who work in libraries?

B: They (call) ____________________ librarians.

6. I came to England six months ago. I started my economics course three months ago. When I return to

Australia, I (study) ____________________ for nine months and I (be) ____________________ in

England for exactly one year.

7. Sam (arrive) ____________________ in San Diego a week ago.

8. Samantha (live) in Berlin for more than two years. In fact, she (live) ____________________ there

when the Berlin wall came down.

9. If Vera (keep) ____________________ drinking, she (lose, eventually) ____________________ her

job.

10. The Maya established a very advanced civilization in the jungles of the Yucatan; however, their

culture (disappear, virtually) ____________________ by the time Europeans first (arrive)

____________________ in the New World.

11. Shhhhh! Be quiet! John (sleep) ____________________.

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12. It (rain) ____________________ all week. I hope it stops by Saturday because I want to go to the

beach.

13. Listen Donna, I don't care if you (miss) ____________________ the bus this morning. You (be)

____________________ late to work too many times. You are fired!

14. I am sick of rain and bad weather! Hopefully, when we (wake) ____________________ up tomorrow

morning, the sun (shine) ____________________.

15. I have not traveled much yet; however, I (visit) ____________________ the Grand Canyon and San

Francisco by the time I leave the United States.

16. I (see) ____________________ many pictures of the pyramids before I went to Egypt. Pictures of the

monuments are very misleading. The pyramids are actually quite small.

17. In the last hundred years, traveling (become) ____________________ much easier and very

comfortable. In the 19th century, it (take) ____________________ two or three months to cross North

America by covered wagon. The trip (be) ____________________ very rough and often dangerous.

Things (change) ____________________ a great deal in the last hundred and fifty years. Now you can fly

from New York to Los Angeles in a matter of hours.

18. Joseph's English (improve, really) ____________________, isn't it? He (watch)

____________________ American television programs and (study) ____________________ his

grammar every day since he first arrived in San Diego. Soon he will be totally fluent.

19. When I (arrive) ____________________ home last night, I discovered that Jane (prepare)

____________________ a beautiful candlelight dinner.

20. If you (need) ____________________ to contact me sometime next week, I (stay)

____________________ at the Sheraton in San Francisco.

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Verbs Followed by an Infinitive She agreed to speak before the game.

agree aim

appear arrange

ask attempt be able

beg begin care

choose condescend

consent continue

dare decide

deserve detest dislike expect

fail forget

get happen

have hesitate

hope hurry intend leap leave like long love

mean neglect

offer ought plan

prefer prepare proceed promise propose refuse

remember say

shoot

start stop

strive swear

threaten try use wait want wish

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Verbs Followed by an Object and an Infinitive

Everyone expected her to win.

advise allow ask beg

bring build buy

challenge

choose command

dare direct

encourage expect forbid force

have hire

instruct invite lead leave

let like

love motivate

order pay

permit persuade prepare promise

remind require

send teach

tell urge want warn

Note: Some of these verbs are included in the list above and may be used without an object.

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Verbs Followed by a Gerund They enjoyed working on the boat.

admit advise

appreciate avoid

can't help complete consider

delay deny

detest dislike enjoy

escape excuse

finish forbid

get through have

imagine mind miss

permit postpone practice

quit recall report resent

resist resume

risk spend (time)

suggest tolerate

waste (time)

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Verbs Followed by a Preposition and a Gerund We concentrated on doing well.

admit to

approve of

argue about

believe in

care about

complain about

concentrate on

confess to

depend on

disapprove of

discourage from

dream about

feel like

forget about

insist on

object to

plan on

prevent (someone) from

refrain from

succeed in

talk about

think about

worry about

_____________________________________________________________________ 1. A gerund is a noun made from a verb by adding "-ing." The gerund form of the verb "read" is

"reading." You can use a gerund as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

Reading helps you learn English. SUBJECT OF SENTENCE

Her favorite hobby is reading. COMPLEMENT OF SENTENCE

I enjoy reading. OBJECT OF SENTENCE

2. Infinitives are the "to" form of the verb. The infinitive form of "learn" is "to learn." You can also

use an infinitive as the subject, the complement, or the object of a sentence.

To learn is important. SUBJECT OF SENTENCE

The most important thing is to learn. COMPLEMENT OF SENTENCE

He wants to learn. OBJECT OF SENTENCE

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3. Both gerunds and infinitives can be used as the subject or the complement of a sentence.

However, as subjects or complements, gerunds usually sound more like normal, spoken English, whereas

infinitives sound more abstract. In the following sentences, gerunds sound more natural and would be

more common in everyday English. Infinitives emphasize the possibility or potential for something and

sound more philosophical. If this sounds confusing, just remember that 90% of the time, you will use a

gerund as the subject or complement of a sentence.

Learning is important. NORMAL SUBJECT

To learn is important. ABSTRACT SUBJECT - LESS COMMON

The most important thing is learning. NORMAL COMPLEMENT

The most important thing is to learn. ABSTRACT COMPLEMENT - LESS COMMON

4. As the object of a sentence, it is more difficult to choose between a gerund or an infinitive. In

such situations, gerunds and infinitives are not normally interchangeable. Usually, the main verb in the

sentence determines whether you use a gerund or an infinitive.

He enjoys swimming. "ENJOY" REQUIRES A GERUND.

He wants to swim. "WANT" REQUIRES AN INFINITIVE.

5. Some verbs are followed by infinitives.

agree Tom agreed to help me.

appear His health appeared to be better.

arrange Naomi arranged to stay with her cousin in Miami.

6. Gerunds can often be modified with possessive forms such as his, her, its, your, their, our, John's,

Mary's, the machine's, and so on. This makes it clearer who or what is performing the action.

I enjoyed their singing. THEY WERE SINGING.

She understood his saying no to the offer. HE SAID NO.

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Sam resented Debbie's coming late to the dinner. DEBBIE CAME LATE TO THE DINNER.

We discussed the machine's being broken. THE MACHINE IS BROKEN.

7. Some verbs are followed by a noun plus an infinitive. In some situations, the noun is required. In

other situations, the noun is optional.

The police ordered the man to stop. NOUN IS REQUIRED

She asked to leave. NOUN IS OPTIONAL

She asked him to leave. NOUN IS OPTIONAL

8. Gerunds are used after prepositions. Most commonly, these are "verb + preposition"

combinations. For reference, see the Verb + Preposition Dictionary and the Phrasal Verb Dictionary. You

don't have to memorize these resources; you just need to remember that gerunds are used after

prepositions!

They admitted to committing the crime.

Leslie made up for forgetting my birthday.

He is thinking about studying abroad.