Isabel Burón Álvarez
IES Delicias
VERB TENSES IN ENGLISH
past simple / present perfect
PAST SIMPLE
• 1. ACTIONS THAT STARTED AND FINISHED IN THE PAST
TIME.
THERE ISN’T ANY RELATIONSHIP WITH PRESENT TIME.
Ex: I travelled to Paris last month.
Adverbs: yesterday, the day before yesterday, last +time
expression, time expression+ ago, in+time expression.
PAST SIMPLE
FORM:
• 1.1.AFFIRMATIVE IN REGULAR VERBS
verb in infinitive + -ed
Ex: The secretary worked in her computer
Ex: I studied at the library yesterday.
Be careful: STOP---STOPPED
consonant+vowel+consonant
PAST SIMPLE
• 1.2.AFFIRMATIVE IN IRREGULAR VERBS
2nd column of irregular verbs. You have to learn
them by heart.
Ex: I broke (break) my right leg two years ago.
Ex: She gave (give) me a present in 2008.
Ex: The phone rang (ring) last week.
PAST SIMPLE
• 2. NEGATIVE
Auxiliary verb (did)+negative form (not)
+infinitive
Ex:The alarm clock didnot
(didn’t) work.
Ex: Pumpkins did not (didn’t) grow in summer.
PAST SIMPLE
• 3. INTERROGATIVE
Question forms: Auxiliary verb (did)
+subject+infinitive
Ex:Did the ball cross the net?
Ex:Did the computers exchange information?
PAST SIMPLE
• 4. SHORT ANSWERS:
Yes, subject+ did No, subject+didn’t
Yes, it did. No, it didn’t
Yes, they did. No, they didn’t
It is obligatory to use short form
PAST SIMPLE
• 5. EXCEPTIONS:
TO BE
Ex: The teacher was in the classroom
Ex: The teachers were in theclassroom
MODAL VERBS (CAN COULD )
Ex: You couldn’t play football
HAVE GOT turns into HAVE
Ex: Did you have a Buddha in your room?
USED TO: it is always in past form.
It’s a habit in the past that you don’t do anymore.
Ex: My sister used to have a rabbit when she was a child.
Ex: My sister didn’t use to have a rabbit when she was a child.
Ex. Did my sister use to have a rabbit when she was a child?
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
• 1. ACTIONS THAT STARTED IN THE PAST, BUT THEY HAVE A
RELATIONSHIP IN PRESENT TIME
• 2.ACTIONS FROM THE PAST, BUT THEY HAVEN’T FINISHED YET.
Ex: I have travelled to Paris several times in my life.
It means that I can/can’t continue
travelling because I’m still alive.
Ex: He has been to the optician and that’s why he is wearing glasses now.
It means that as a result of his visit to
the optician (finished action), he has to
wear glasses (in the present).
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
FORM:
• 1. 1.AFFIRMATIVE IN REGULAR VERBS
Auxiliary verb (have/has)+ -ed(participle).
Ex: The secretary has worked in her
computer.
Ex: I have studied at the library.
Be careful: STOP---STOPPED
consonant+vowel+consonant
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
• 1.2.AFFIRMATIVE IN IRREGULAR VERBS
Auxiliary verb (have /has)+ participle (3rd column of the
irregular verbs)
Remember:
perfect tenses carry “to have”as an auxiliary verb.
Simple tenses carry “to be” as an auxiliary verb.
Ex: I have broken (break) my right leg recently.
I’ve broken
Ex: She has given(give) me a present.
She’s given
Ex: The phone has rung(ring) for three hours.
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
• 2. NEGATIVE
Auxiliary verb (have/has)+negative form (not)
+participle
Ex:The alarm clock has not
(hasn’t) worked.
Ex: Pumpkins have not (haven’t) grown in
summer.
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
• 3. INTERROGATIVE
Question forms: Auxiliary verb (have/has)
+subject+participle
Ex:Has the ball crossed the net?
Ex:Have the computers exchanged information?
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
• 4. SHORT ANSWERS:
Yes, subject+ has/have
No, subject+hasn’t/haven’t
Yes, it has. No, it hasn’t
Yes, they have. No, they haven’t
It is obligatory to use short form
PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
• 4. ADVERBS AND COLLOCATIONS.
FORperiod of time that has occurred.
Ex: The girl has played golf for two hours.
SINCE exact period in time.
Ex:The girl has played golf since 11 o´clock.
JUST Nadal has just won the tennis match.
This has happened very recently.
ALREADYThe tiger has already appeared.
This has happened suddenly/unexpected.
YET I haven’t studied for the Geography exam yet
STILL She still hasn’t recycled the plastic.
RECENTLY We have sailed the Atlantic Ocean recently
HOW LONG interrogative sentences. Ask for duration:
How long have you been in hospital?
SO FAR until now.
I have understood this explanation so far.
PAST SIMPLE OR PRESENT PERFECT??
Ex: I sat on the tracks of an abandoned train station two years ago.
It means that it’s a finished
action. No relationship with
present time. I sat there, I took
the photo and that’s all.
Ex: I have a pain in my back because I have sat on the tracks of an
abandoned train station.
It means that today I feel uncomfortable and the reason is that I
have sat on the tracks. Yesterday’s actions are the cause of
today’s pain (consequence). There’s a relationship.
I HAVE BEEN or I HAVE GONE??
I have been to a folk concert.
It means that I went and I came back because it’s
finished. “To be”come&back
I have gone to a folk concert.
It means that I went, but I didn’t come back. I’m still
there. “To go”come, not back.
