PRESENT TENSES
verb or verb+s/es
Present I read a book every month.
● regular habits and routines
Simple ● things that are always or generally
true
● general and scientific facts
am/is/are + V+ing
I am reading a new book now.
Present ● actions happening now or near the
Continuous moment of speaking
● temporary actions and situations
● changing situations
● habits which annoy the speaker
have/has + past participle (V3)
Present
I have already read this book.
Perfect ● recent events which have a result in
the present
Simple ● actions or situations which began in
the past but continue in the present
have/has + been + V+ing
Present I’ve been reading it for 2 weeks.
Perfect ● to emphasize the process or the
Continuous duration of an action
● to emphasize that an action finished
very recently or is incomplete
PAST TENSES
verb+ed or V2
Past I read this book last month.
Simple ● finished actions or situations in
the past
● a chain of actions
was/were + V+ing
I was reading a new book at 6 o’clock
Past yesterday.
Continuous ● activity in progress at a moment
in the past
● an activity in process that was
interrupted by a shorter activity
had + past participle (V3)
Past
Perfect I had already read this book before I
met the author.
Simple ● actions that happened before
another action in the past
had + been + V+ing
Past
I’ve been reading it for 2 weeks.
Perfect ● give importance to the duration of
Continuous an activity which happened
before another action in the past
FUTURE TENSES
will + verb
Future I think the lunch will be good tomorrow.
● personal predictions about the future
Simple ● decisions made at the moment of
speaking
● when future is an objective truth
will + be + V+ing
She will be having lunch at one o’clock
Future tomorrow.
Continuous ● activities in progress at a
particular time in the future
● the activities are in progress and
so they are unfinished
will + have + past participle (V3)
Future
She will have had lunch by 3 pm
Perfect today.
Simple ● activities that will be finished by
a certain time in the future
will + have + been + V+ing
Future By 6 pm she will have been doing
Perfect homework for 3 hours!
● to say how long an activity has
Continuous been in progress before a
particular moment in the future
PASSIVE VOICE
to be + past participle (V3)
PRESENT is/are + past participle (V3)
SIMPLE Glass is made from sand.
PRESENT is/are being + past participle (V3)
CONTINUOUS A new school is being built there.
PRESENT have/has been + past participle (V3)
PERFECT The book hasn’t been written yet.
was/were + past participle (V3)
PAST SIMPLE Google was invented in 1998.
was/were being + past participle (V3)
PAST The flat was being cleaned all day
CONTINUOUS yesterday.
had been + past participle (V3)
PAST PERFECT The book had been read by him before the
film was released.
FUTURE will be + past participle (V3)
The car will be washed by the time you pick
SIMPLE it up.
FUTURE will have been + past participle (V3)
The project will have been completed by
PERFECT the end of the month.
modal + be + past participle (V3)
MODALS The essay should be written in a formal
style.
MODAL modal + have been + past participle (V3)
The package must have been delivered
PERFECT when I was out.
