THE 12 VERB TENSES Ex. Did he visit his grandparents?

Were they in Manila last week?

WARM UP USES OF THE SIMPLE PAST
Read the six sentences below. Which ‘time’ or ‘tense’ do they
belong?

Past Present Future

A. I went to the
market yesterday
afternoon.
B. Vincent wakes up early on weekdays.
C. My brother will leave for Dubai next week.
D. I was sleeping when I heard a knock on the door.
E. I have been teaching at TCC for 5 years.
F. We will have submitted our project by noon today.

When thinking about verbs, we think of two things:

 the time it happened; and
 if the action still happening or completed in that
particular time

To better understand the verb tenses, we will be using timelines

to demonstrate the behavior of the action in a particular time.

THE SIMPLE PAST THE PAST CONTINUOUS

TENSE TENSE
The past simple tense
refers to an action that is The past continuous tense
already completed in describes an action that was
the past. in progress at a specific time
in the past.
PATTERN:
(+) Subject + past verb form PATTERN:
Ex: He visited his grandparents. (+) Subject + was/were + verb ing
They were in Manila last week. Ex: She was cooking all morning.

(-) Subject + did + not + present simple verb? (-) Subject + was/were + not + verb ing
Subject + was / were + not + rest of the sentence. Ex: She was not sleeping when he came home.
Ex: He didn’t (did not) visit his grandparents.
They weren’t (were not) in Manila last week. (?) Was/were + subject + verb ing?
(?) Did + subject + present simple verb? Ex. Was she sleeping when he came home?
USES OF THE PAST CONTINUOUS THE PAST PERFECT CONTINOUS TENSE

We use the past

perfect continuous to
refer to an ongoing
action that ended
before another
action/event in the
past. For example, I'd
been looking for a job
for several months
when I found this
position.

PATTERN:
(+) Subject + had been + verb ing
Ex: They had been playing tennis when he arrived.
THE PAST PERFECT SIMPLE TENSE
This tense is used to talk about an event which has taken place (-) Subject + had not + been + verb ing
BEFORE a certain point in the past. The past perfect tense keeps Ex: They hadn’t been cooking yet by the time I came
the past “in the past” here.
as they say. The verbs
(?) Had + subject + been + verb ing?
that are placed in this
Ex. Had they been cooking when I came?
tense have happened
AND completed before
USES OF THE PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
a RELATED action can
occur.

PATTERN:
(+) Subject + had + past participle
Ex: She had read the book before she went to see the
movie.

(-) Subject + had not (hadn’t) + past participle

Ex: She hadn’t finished her meal when I arrived.

(?) Had + subject + past participle?

Ex. Had we worked for 5 years before he got promoted?

*Time expressions: before, after, by the time, when, already, yet

(?) Am/ Is /Are + subject + predicate
Ex. Am I a student? / Are they students?
Do / Does + subject + verb + object?
PRACTICE 1 Ex. Am I a student? / Are they students?
Write the correct verb.
USES OF THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE
1. We ____________ a new car last month. (buy)
2. My sister _______________ to her brother when I arrived. (speak)
3. The technician _______________ (repair) my phone by two o’clock
yesterday.
4. He was very tired. He ______________ (drive) for seven hours.
5-6. What _____ you ______ (do) last night around 9pm? I
__________ (call) you!
7. Aljun ____________ in the yard when it rained. (clean)
8. The students ______________ (talk) loudly when the teacher
came inside.
9. By the time I reached the station, the bus _____________ (leave).
10. Hannah _____________ (work) as a nurse for thirty years before
she retired last year.

THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

The present simple

tense is mainly used to
talk about actions in the
present time. It can also
be used to talk about
facts and habits.

PATTERN: THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

(+) Subject + is/are/am +predicate
Ex: I am a teacher. / They are students. The present
Subject + full verb + object continuous tense
Ex: I study English. / She listens to music. is used to express
a current action,
(-) Subject + am/is/are + not + predicate an action in
Ex: I am not a teacher. / They aren’t students. progress or a
Subject + don’t / doesn’t + verb + object temporary action.
Ex: I don’t study English. / She doesn’t listen to music.
the impact of the event is felt or continuing in the present time. It
has some relationship in the present.
PATTERN:
(+) Subject + have/has + past participle
PATTERN: Ex: I have tried sushi.
(+) Subject + is/are/am + verb ing
Ex: He is playing the guitar. (-) Subject + have not/has not + past participle
Ex: I haven’t tried sushi.
(-) Subject + am/is/are + not + verb ing
Ex: He isn’t playing the guitar. (?) Have / Has + subject + past participle
Ex. Have you tried sushi?
(?) Am/ Is /Are + subject + verb ing
Ex. Is he playing the guitar? USES OF THE PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

USES OF THE PRESENT CONTINUOUS TENSE

PRESENT PERFECT
SIMPLE TENSE The
present perfect simple
talks about an event that
started in the past and
PRACTICE 2
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
1. John is very lazy. He never ________ his bed. (make)
This tense is used to 2-3. A: What are you _______ (do) now? B: I ______________ (watch)
talk about an Netflix.
action that started in 4. I’m very busy. I _______________ (work) hard these days.
the past and it 5. Lecel is tired. She __________________ (exercising) the whole
continues in the morning.
present or has just 6. People ________________ (fly) planes since 1903.
stopped. 7. Her eyes are red. __________ she _____________ (cry)?
8. I _____________ studied at TCC for a year. (study)
9. Where _______ they ________ (spend) their summer holidays?
PATTERN: 10. I ___________________ (typing) five letters since 10 o’clock this
(+) Subject + have/has + been + past participle morning.
Ex: They have been learning English for two years.
FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE
(-) Subject + have not/has not + been + past participle
Ex: They haven’t been learning English for two years. This tense is used to
talk about future
(?) Have / Has + subject + been + past participle? plans or intentions,
Ex. Have they been learning English for 2 years? as well as to make
predictions about
what may occur in
USES OF THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINOUS TENSE the future.

PATTERN:
(+) Subject + have/has + been + past participle
Ex: They have been learning English for two years.

(-) Subject + have not/has not + been + past participle

Ex: They haven’t been learning English for two years.

(?) Have / Has + subject + been + past participle?

Ex. Have they been learning English for 2 years?
USES OF THE FUTURE SIMPLE TENSE USES OF THE FUTURE CONTINOUS TENSE

FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE

The Future Continuous
Tense describes actions FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
that will be happening at a We use this tense when we talk about actions that already have
specific moment in the completed in the specific time in the future.
future.

PATTERN:
(+) Subject + will + be + verb ing (present participle)
Ex: I will be singing in the concert tomorrow.

(-) Subject + will not + be + verb ig (present participle)

Ex: I will not be singing in the concert tomorrow.

(?) Will + subject + be+ verb ing? (present participle)

Ex. Will you be singing in the concert tomorrow? PATTERN:
(+) Subject + will + have + past participle Ex: I will have been eating vegetables for three months.
Ex: He will have done it this evening.
(-) Subject + will not + have + been + verb ing
(-) Subject + will not + have + past participle Ex: I won’t have been eating vegetables for three months.
Ex: He will not have done it this evening.
(?) Will + subject + have + been + verb ing
(?) Will + subject + have+ past participle? Ex. Will you have been eating vegetables for three
Ex. Will he have done it by this evening? months?

USES OF THE PRESENT PERFECT CONTINOUS TENSE USES OF THE FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

PRACTICE 3
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS Read the following sentences given below and identify the type of
The future perfect continuous tense is a verb tense that can be future tense.
used to refer to an action that will be continuing until a certain 1. I will go to my sister’s house tomorrow.
point of time in the future. The future perfect continuous tense 2. Amy will deliver a lecture on neutrons.
can also be referred to as the future perfect progressive tense as 3. Rumi shall have completed his task by then.
it expresses an action or event that will be progressing to a 4. Miss Smith will have been teaching for twelve years coming
specific time in the future. May.
5. The flight will arrive at 3:30 A.M.
6. When I reach home, my dog will be waiting for me on the
porch.
7. They will have left for Kashmir by next day.
8. Mom will have cooked my favourite pasta.
9. Shelly will have been practising how to speak Spanish for an
hour when you arrive.
10. At 8 o’clock I will have been working for 12 hours.

PATTERN:
(+) Subject + will + have + been + verb ing