The Tenses

tenses Simple Continuous Prefect Perfect continuous

No “ing”, no helping At/ at the time/ By/ by the time By/ by the time/
verb when duration
forms
Present When to use: When to use: When to use: When to use:
* Any fact * Event that is * Something finished * An event that
happening at the just now started in the past
* Any habit
moment and still going on
*An action that is over
* Description until now
* Something in
*An event started in
* Direction progress Note:
the past and still
* Schedule * Something in the going on With stative verbs
* Fiction (movie or future that you (verbs of emotion
* Unfinished time
book) are very sure of and possession) such
(used with words:
as: love, hate, own,
*Irritating habits today, so far, until
possess, have, care,
(with: always, now, this month, this
we can’t use the
forever, regularly, week…etc)
present perfect
consonantly,
continuous tense
continuously)
Examples: Examples: because it will be a
gerund so for these
The sun rises in the I am breathing at Examples:
verbs we will use the
east the moment
I have finished star case tense.
I brush my teeth I am reading a book writing
Examples:
everyday these days
I have read this book
I have been
The painting is nice I am going to Luxor
I have stayed in Cairo studying for 2 years
tomorrow
Insert the ATM for 4 years now
into the machine He is always
(* star case) I have owned this
irritating me
The movie ends at bag for 2 years now
I have had 4 cups of
4 pm
coffee today
Legally blond is a
movie about Barbie
girl
Tense Rule:
am / is / are + verb
Tense Rule: Tense Rule: Tense Rule:
(ing)
verb in the 1st form Have / has + verb in Have / has + been +
the 3rd form verb (ing)
tenses
Simple Continuous Prefect Perfect continuous
forms No “ing”, no helping At/ at the time/ By/ by the time/ By/ by the time/
verb when/ While before/ after duration
Past When to use: When to use: When to use: When to use: (NFT)
* An event happen * One event * Compare two * One event
in the past (so it happened and events started before the
doesn’t tell u another one comes second event and
* Mentioning a point
anything about with it. continued till the
of time (not
what is going on second event
* An event duration)
now) happen but may still
happened in a point
is going on.
* A habit in the of time (usually with
past when) (use when here to
Note: With two events mention duration
* A habit in the * An event
we use (before, after). of time)
past but it is happened in a
stopped now duration of time And the past perfect
(with the word: (usually with while) always comes before
used to). before and after after
Note: Longer event
to indicate which one
always takes “ing”, happened first and the
shorter event can be tense of the other
simple past if using verb would be past
“when”, or it can be simple.
Examples: a past con. if Examples:
Examples:
“while”, it depends
I went to church I had had lunch I had been eating
on duration of
yesterday before I left for food for 4 hours
shorter event.
church when the bell rang
I ate lots of
Examples:
chocolate as a child I had finished my I had been driving
I was eating apple my car for 3 hours
I used to eat lots of homework by 7.00
when you called when you came by.
chocolate as a pm
child. At 6 pm yesterday,
I was taking a walk
While I was
cooking, he was
Tense Rule: playing tennis Tense Rule: Tense Rule:
verb in the 2nd form Tense Rule: Was/ Had + 3rd form of the Had + been + Verb
were + Verb (ing) Verb (ing)
tenses
Simple Continuous Prefect Perfect continuous
forms No “ing”, no helping At/ at the time/ By/ by the time By/ by the time/
verb when/ While duration
Future When to use: When to use: When to use: (NFT) When to use: (NFT)
* I’m relatively sure * An event will be * By a certain point * By a certain point
of something will in progress and time in the future, time in the future,
happen in the another event an event will be an event will be
future takes place over happening and
still continuing.
* You are * An event will be
determined to do in progress at a
Examples:
something in the certain point of
Examples:
future time I will have done my
home work by the I will have been
* you have Note: with the 2
time you arrive eating for 4 hours.
Immediate future verbs: one verb will
be in the continuous I will have finished By 5 pm I will have
* You are unsure of
future and the other reading before next been sitting in the
something
in simple present week train for 8 hours
Examples: Examples:
I will go there I may be sleeping Tense rule: Tense rule:
tomorrow when you knock
Will + have + Will / may/ might
I am going to go I will be watching have been +
3rd form of the verb
there tomorrow the movie at 6
(ing) Verb (ing)
o’clock
Run! The train is
about to leave
I may/ might be Tense rule:
late today
Will/ may/ might +
Tense Rule: be + verb (ing)
Will/ may/might +
verb in the 1st form
or
Am/is/are + going to
(about to)
+ 1st form