tenses' meaning

8/6/2019 Tenses' Meaning

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Simple Present

FORM

[VERB] + s/es in third person

Examples:

y You speak English.y Do you speak English?y You d o n o t speak English.

C omplete List of Simple Present Forms

USE 1 Repeated Actions

Use the Simple Present to express the idea that an actionis repeated or usual. The action can be a habit, a hobby, adaily event, a scheduled event or something that oftenhappens. It can also be something a person often forgetsor usually does not do.

Examples:

y I play tennis.y S he d o es n o t play tennis.y Do es he play tennis?

y The train leaves every morning at 8 AM.y The train d o es n o t leave at 9 AM.y W hen d o es the train usually leave ?y S he always f o rgets her purse.y H e never f o rgets his wallet.y Every twelve months, the Earth circles the

S un.y Do es the S un circle the Earth?

USE 2 Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Present can also indicate the speaker believesthat a fact was true before, is truenow, and will be true inthe future. It is not important if the speaker is correctabout the fact. It is also used to make generalizationsabout people or things.

Examples:

y C ats like milk.y B irds d o n o t like milk.y Do pigs like milk?y C alifornia is in America.y C alifornia is n o t in the United Kingdom.y W indows are made of glass.y W indows are n o t made of wood.y N ew York is a small city. It is not important

that this fact is untrue.

USE 3 S cheduled Ev ents in the Near Future

Speakers occasionally use Simple Present to talk aboutscheduled events in the near future. This is mostcommonly done when talking about publictransportation, but it can be used with other scheduledevents as well.

Examples:

y The train leaves tonight at 6 PM.y The bus d o es n o t arrive at 11 AM, it arrives at

11 PM.y W hen d o we bo ar d the plane?y The party starts at 8 o'clock.y W hen d o es class b egin tomorrow?

USE 4 Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

Speakers sometimes use the Simple Present to expressthe idea that an action is happening or is not happening

now. This can only be done with Non- C ontinuous Verbsand certain Mixed Verbs.

Examples:

y I am here now.y S he is n o t here now.y H e nee d s help right now.y H e d o es n o t nee d help now.y H e h as his passport in his hand.y Do you h ave your passport with you?


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ADV E RB PLAC E M E NT

The examples below show the placement for grammar adverbs such as: always, only, never, ever, still, just, etc.

Examples:

y You o nly speak English.y D o you o nly speak English?

ACTIV E / PA SS IV E

Examples:

y O nce a week, Tom cleans the car. Active y O nce a week, the car is cleane d by Tom.

Passiv e


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Simple Past

FORM

[VERB+ed] or irregular verbs

Examples:

y You calle d D ebbie.y D id you call D ebbie?y You d id n o t call D ebbie.

C omplete List of S imple Past Forms

USE 1 Completed Action in the Past

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

Examples:

y I saw a movie yesterday.y I did n't see a play yesterday.y Last year, I travele d to Japan.y Last year, I d id n't travel to Korea.y D id you h ave dinner last night?y S he was h e d her car.y H e d id n't was h his car.

USE 2 A S eries of Completed Actions

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

Examples:

y I f inis h e d work, walke d to the beach, andf ou n d a nice place to swim.

y H e arrive d from the airport at 8:00, ch e cke d into the hotel at 9:00, and met the others at10:00.

y D id you a dd flour, p ou r in the milk, and thena dd the eggs?

USE 3 Duration in Past

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which startsand stops in the past. A duration is a longer action of tenindicated by expressions such as: for two years, for fiveminutes, all day, all year, etc.

Examples:

y I live d in B razil for two years.y S

hauna stu

d ie d Japanese for five years.y They sat at the beach all day.y They d id n o t stay at the party the entire time.y W e talke d on the phone for thirty minutes.y A: H ow long d id you wait for them?

B : W e waite d for one hour.

USE 4 Habits in the Past

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

Examples:

y I st u die d French when I was a child.y H e playe d the violin.y H e d id n't play the piano.y D id you play a musical instrument when you

were a kid?y S he

wo

rked at the movie t heater after school.

y They never went to school, they alwaysskippe d class.


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USE 5 Past Facts or Generalizations

The Simple Past can also be used to describe past facts or generalizations which are no longer true. As in USE 4above, this use of the Simple Past is quite similar to theexpression "used to."

Examples:

y S he was shy as a child, but now she is veryoutgoing.

y H e d id n't like tomatoes before.y D id you live in Texas when you were a kid?y People pai d much more to make cell phone

calls in the past.

IMPORTANT When-Clauses Happen First

C lauses are groups of words which have meaning but areoften not complete sentences. Some clauses begin withthe word "when" such as "when I dropped my pen..." or "when class began..." These clauses are called when -clauses, and they are very important. The examples

below contain when-clauses.

Examples:

y Wh en I pai d h er o ne d o llar , she answered myquestion.

y S he answered my question w h en I pai d h ero ne d o llar .

When-clauses are important because they always happenfirst when both clauses are in the Simple Past. Both of the examples above mean the same thing: first, I paid her one dollar, and then, she answered my question. It is notimportant whether "when I paid her one dollar" is at the

beginning of the sentence or at the end of the sentence.However, the example below has a different meaning.First, she answered my question, and then, I paid her onedollar.

Example:

y I paid her one dollar w h en s h e answere d myq u esti o n.



Examples:

y You ju st called D ebbie.y D id you ju st call D ebbie?


Ex amples:

y Tom repaire d the car. Active y The car was repaire d by Tom. Passive


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present C o ntin uou s

FORM

[am/is/are + present participle]

Examples:

y You are wat ch ing TV .y Are you wat ch ing TV ?y You are n o t wat ch ing TV .

C omplete List of Present C ontinuous Forms

USE 1 Now

Use the Present C ontinuous with Normal Verbs toexpress the idea that something is happening now, at thisvery moment. It can also be used to show that somethingis not happening now.

Examples:

y You are learning English now.y You are n o t swimming now.y Are you sleeping ?y I am sitting .y I am n o t stan d ing .y Is he sitting or stan d ing ?y They are rea d ing their books.y They are n o t wat ch ing television.y W hat are you d o ing ?y W hy aren't you d o ing your homework?

USE 2 Longer Actions in Progress Now

In English, "now" can mean: this second, today, this

month, this year, this century, and so on. Sometimes, weuse the Present C ontinuous 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.

Examples: (All of these sentences can be said w hileeating dinner in a restaurant.)

y I am st u d ying to become a doctor.y I am n o t st u d ying to become a dentist.

y I am rea d ing the book T om Sawyer. y I am n o t rea d ing any books right now.y Are you w o rking on any special projects at

work?y Aren't you tea ch ing at the university now?

USE 3 Near Future

Sometimes, speakers use the Present C ontinuous toindicate that something will or will not happen in thenear future.

Examples:

y I am meeting some friends after work.y I am n o t g o ing to the party tonight.y Is he visiting his parents next weekend?y Isn't he co ming with us tonight?

USE 4 Repetition and Irritation with "Always"

The Present C ontinuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something irritatingor shocking often happens. Notice that the meaning islike Simple Present, but with negative emotion.Remember to put the words "always" or "constantly"

between "be" and "verb+ing."

Examples:

y S he is always co ming to class late.y H e is co nstantly talking . I wish he would shut

up.y I don't like them because they are always

co mplaining .

R E M E MB E R Non-Continuous Verbs/ Mi x ed Verbs

It is important to remember that Non- C ontinuous Verbs

cannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certainnon-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot beused in continuous tenses. Instead of using PresentC ontinuous with these verbs, you must use SimplePresent.

Examples:

y S he is l o ving this chocolate ice cream. Not Correct

y S he lo ves this chocolate ice cream. Correct


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Examples:

y You are still watching TV .y Are you still watching TV ?


Examples: Right now, Tom is writing the letter. Active

R ight now, the letter is b eing written by Tom. Passive


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Past C ontinuous

FORM

[was/were + present participle]

Examples:

y You were st u d ying when she called.y W ere you st u d ying when she called?y you were n o t st u d ying when she called.

C omplete List of Past C ontinuous Forms

USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Past

Use the Past C ontinuous to indicate that a longer actionin the past was interrupted. The interruption is usually ashorter action in the Simple Past. Remember this can be areal interruption or just an interruption in time.

Examples:

y I was wat ch ing TV when she called.y W hen the phone rang, she was writing a

letter.y W hile we were h aving the picnic, it started to

rain.y W hat were you d o ing when the earthquake

started?y I was listening to my iPod, so I didn't hear the

fire alarm.y You were n o t listening to me when I told you

to turn the oven off.y W hile John was sleeping last night, someone

stole his car.y S ammy was waiting for us when we got off

the plane.y W hile I was writing the email, the computer

suddenly went off.y A: W hat were you d o ing when you broke your

leg?B : I was sn o w bo ar d ing .

USE 2 S pecific Time as an Interruption

In USE 1, described above, the Past C ontinuous isinterrupted by a shorter action in the Simple Past.However, you can also use a specific time as aninterruption.

Examples:

y Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.y At midnight, we were still d riving through the

desert.y Yesterday at this time, I was sitting at my desk

at work.

IMPORTANT

In the Simple Past, a specific time is used to show whenan action began or finished. In the Past C ontinuous, aspecific time only interrupts the action.

Examples:

y Last night at 6 PM, I ate dinner.I started eating at 6 PM .

y Last night at 6 PM, I was eating dinner.I started earlier; and at 6 PM, I was in the

process of eating dinner.

USE 3 Parallel Actions

When you use the Past C ontinuous with two actions inthe same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actionswere happening at the same time. The actions are

parallel.

Examples:

y I was st u d ying while he was making dinner.y W hile Ellen was rea d ing , T im was wat ch ing

television.y W ere you listening while he was talking ?y I wasn't paying attention while I was writing

the letter, so I made several mistakes.y W hat were you d o ing while you were

waiting ?y Thomas wasn't w o rking , and I wasn't w o rking

either.y They were eating dinner, d iscu ssing their

plans, and h aving a good time.


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USE 4 Atmosphere

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

Example:

y W hen I walked into the office, several peoplewere busily typing , some were talking on thephones, the boss was yelling directions, andcustomers were waiting to be helped. O necustomer was yelling at a secretary andwaving his hands. O thers were co mplaining toeach other about the bad service.

USE 5 Repetition and Irritation with "Always"

The Past C ontinuous with words such as "always" or "constantly" expresses the idea that something irritatingor shocking often happened in the past. The concept isvery similar to the expression "used to" but with negativeemotion. Remember to put the words "always" or "constantly" between "be" and "verb+ing."

Examples:

y S he was always co ming to class late.y H e was co nstantly talking . H e annoyed

everyone.y I didn't like them because they were always

co mplaining .

While v s. When

C lauses are groups of words which have meaning, but areoften not complete sentences. Some clauses begin withthe word "when" such as "when she called" or "when it

bit me." Other clauses begin with "while" such as "whileshe was sleeping" and "while he was surfing." When youtalk about things in the past, "when" is most oftenfollowed by the verb tense Simple Past, whereas "while"is usually followed by Past C ontinuous. "While"expresses the idea of "during that time." Study the

examples below. They have similar meanings, but theyemphasize different parts of the sentence.

Examples:

y I was studying w h en s h e calle d .y Wh ile I was st u d ying , she called.

R E M E MB E R Non-Continuous Verbs / Mi x ed Verbs

It is important to remember that Non- C ontinuous Verbscannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certainnon-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot beused in continuous tenses. Instead of using PastC ontinuous with these verbs, you must use Simple Past.

Examples:

y Jane was b eing at my house when you arrived.N ot Correct

y Jane was at my house when you arrived.Correct



Examples:

y You were ju st studying when she called.y W ere you ju st studying when she called?


Examples:

y The salesman was h elping the customer whenthe thief came into the store. Active

y The customer was b eing h elpe d by thesalesman when the thief came into the store.Passive


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Simple F u t u re

Simple Future has two different forms in English: "will"and "be going to." Although the two forms cansometimes be used interchangeably, they often expresstwo very different meanings. These different meaningsmight seem too abstract at first, but with time and

practice, the differences will bec ome clear. Both "will"and "be going to" refer to a specific time in the future.

FORM Will

[will + verb]

Examples:

y You will h elp him later.y W ill you h elp him later?y You will n o t h elp him later.

FORM Be Going To

[am/is/are + going to + verb]

Examples:

y You are g o ing t o meet Jane tonight.y Are you go ing t o meet Jane tonight?y You are n o t g o ing t o meet Jane tonight.

C omplete List of Simple Future Forms

USE 1 "Will" to Ex press a Voluntary Action

"Will" often suggests that a speaker will do somethingvoluntarily. A voluntary action is one the speaker offersto do for someone else. Often, we use "will" to respondto someone else's complaint or request for help. We alsouse "will" when we request that someone help us or volunteer to do something for us. Similarly, we use "willnot" or "won't" when we refuse to voluntarily dosomething.

Examples:

y I will sen d you the information when I get it.y I will translate the email, so Mr. S mith can

read it.y W ill you h elp me move this heavy table?y W ill you make dinner?

y I will n o t d o your homework for you.y I w o n't d o all the housework myself!y A: I'm really hungry.

B : I 'll make some sandwiches.y A: I'm so tired. I'm about to fall asleep.

B : I 'll get you some coffee.y A: The phone is ringing.

B : I 'll get it.

USE 2 "Will" to Ex press a Promise

"Will" is usually used in promises.

Examples:

y I will call you when I arrive.y If I am elected President of the United S tates, I

will make sure everyone has access toinexpensive health insurance.

y I promise I will n o t tell him about the surpriseparty.

y D on't worry, I 'll b e careful.y I w o n't tell anyone your secret.

USE 3 "Be going to" to Ex press a Plan

"Be going to" expresses that something is a plan. Itexpresses the idea that a person intends to do somethingin the future. It does not matter whether the plan isrealistic or not.

Examples:

y H e is g o ing t o spen d his vacation in H awaii.y S he is n o t g o ing t o spen d her vacation in

H awaii.y A: W hen are we go ing t o meet each other

tonight?B : W e are g o ing t o meet at 6 PM.

y I'm g o ing t o b e an actor when I grow up.y Michelle is g o ing t o b egin medical school next

year.y They are g o ing t o d rive all the way to Alaska.y W ho are you go ing t o invite to the party?y A: W ho is g o ing t o make John's birthday cake?

B : S ue is g o ing t o make John's birthday cake.


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USE 4 "Will" or "Be Going to" to Ex press aPrediction

Both "will" and "be going to" can express the idea of ageneral prediction about the future. Predictions areguesses about what might happen in the future. In"prediction" sentences, the subject usually has littlecontrol over the future and therefore USES 1 -3 do notapply. In the following examples, there is no differencein meaning.

Examples:

y The year 2222 will b e a very interesting year.y The year 2222 is g o ing t o b e a very interesting

year.

y John S mith will b e the next President.y John S mith is g o ing t o b e the next President.

y The movie "Zenith" will win several AcademyAwards.

y The movie "Zenith" is g o ing t o win severalAcademy Awards.

IMPORTANT

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

No Future in Time Clauses

Like all future forms, the Simple Future cannot be usedin clauses beginning with time expressions such as:when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if,unless, etc. Instead of Simple Future, Simple Present isused.

Examples:

y W hen you will arrive tonight, we will go outfor dinner. N ot Correct

y W hen you arrive tonight, we will go out fordinner. Correct



Examples:

y You will never help him.y W ill you ever help him?

y You are never going to meet Jane.y Are you ever going to meet Jane?


Examples:

y John will f inis h the work by 5:00 PM. Active y The work will b e f inis h e d by 5:00 PM. Passive

y S ally is g o ing t o make a beautiful dinnertonight. Active

y A beautiful dinner is g o ing t o b e ma d e by S allytonight. Passive


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Past Per f e ct

FORM

[had + past participle]

Examples:

y You h a d st u d ie d English before you moved toN ew York.

y Ha d you st u d ie d English before you moved toN ew York?

y You h a d not st u d ie d English before you movedto N ew York.

C omplete List of Past Perfect Forms

USE 1 Completed Action Before S omething in the

Past

The Past Perfect expresses the idea that somethingoccurred before another action in the past. It can alsoshow that something happened before a specific time inthe past.

Examples:

y I h a d never seen such a beautiful beach beforeI went to Kauai.

y I did not have any money because I h a d lo st my wallet.

y Tony knew Istanbul so well because he h a d visite d the city several times.

y Ha d S usan ever st u d ie d Thai before shemoved to Thailand?

y S he only understood the movie because sheh a d rea d the book.

y Kristine h a d never b een to an opera beforelast night.

y W e were not able to get a hotel room becausewe h a d n o t boo ke d in advance.

y A: Ha d you ever visite d the U. S . before yourtrip in 2006?B : Yes, I h a d b een to the U. S . once before.

USE 2 Duration Before S omething in the Past (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With Non- C ontinuous Verbs and some non-continuoususes of Mixed Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to showthat something started in the past and continued up untilanother action in the past.

Examples:

y W e h a d h a d that car for ten years before itbroke down.

y B y the time Alex finished his studies, he h a d b een in London for over eight years.

y They felt bad about selling the house becausethey h a d o wne d it for more than forty years.

Although the above use of Past Perfect is normally

limited to N on- C ontinuous V erbs and no n-continuous

uses of Mixed V erbs, the words "live," "work," "teach,"

and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though

they are NOT N on- C ontinuous V erbs.

IMPORTANT S pecific Times with the Past Perfect

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

Example:

y S he h a d visite d her Japanese relatives once in1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

MOR E OV E R

If the Past Perfect action did occur at a specific time, theSimple Past can be used instead of the Past Perfect when"before" or "after" is used in the sentence. The word s"before" and "after" actually tell you what happens first,so the Past Perfect is optional. For this reason, bothsentences below are correct.

Examples:

y S he h a d visite d her Japanese relatives once in1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

y S he visite d her Japanese relatives once in1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.


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HOW E VE R

If the Past Perfect is not referring to an action at aspecific time, Past Perfect is not optional. C ompare theexamples 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.

Examples:

y S he never saw a bear before she moved toAlaska. N ot Correct

y S he h a d never seen a bear before she movedto Alaska. Correct



Examples:

y You had previ ou sly studied English before youmoved to N ew York.

y H ad you previ ou sly studied English before youmoved to N ew York?


Examples:

y G eorge h a d repaire d many cars before hereceived his mechanic's license. Active

y Many cars h a d b een repaire d by G eorgebefore he received his mechanic's license.Passive


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Present Per f e ct

FORM

[has/have + past participle]

Examples:

y You h ave seen that movie many times.y Have you seen that movie many times?y You h ave n o t seen that movie many times.

C omplete List of Present Perfect Forms

USE 1 U nspecified Time Before Now

We use the Present Perfect to say that an action happenedat an unspecified time before now. The exact time is notimportant. You C ANNOT use the Present Perfect withspecific time expressions such as: yesterday, one year ago, last week, when I was a child, when I lived in Japan,at that moment, that day, one day, etc. We C AN use thePresent Perfect with unspecific expressions such as: ever,never, once, many times, several times, before, so far,already, yet, etc.

Examples:

y I h ave seen that movie twenty times.y I think I h ave met him once before.y There h ave b een many earthquakes in

C alifornia.y People h ave travele d to the Moon.y People h ave n o t travele d to Mars.y Have you rea d the book yet?y N obody h as ever clim b e d that m ountain.y A: Has there ever b een a war in the United

S tates?B : Yes, there h as b een a war in the UnitedS tates.

How Do You Actually U se the Present Perfect?

The concept of "unspecified time" can be very confusingto English learners. It is best to associate Present Perfec twith the following topics:

TOPIC 1 Ex perience

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 NOTused to describe a specific event.

Examples:

y I h ave b een to France.T his sentence means that you have had theexperience of being in France. M aybe you havebeen there once , or several times.

y I h ave b een to France three times.Y ou can add the number of times at the end of the sentence.

y I h ave never b een to France.T his sentence means that you have not had theexperience of going to France.

y I think I h ave seen that movie before.y H

e h as never travele d by train.y Joan h as st u d ie d two foreign languages.y A: Have you ever met him?

B : N o, I h ave not met him.

TOPIC 2 Change O v er Time

We often use the Present Perfect to talk about change thathas happened over a period of time.

Examples:

y You h ave gr o wn since the last time I saw you.y The government h as b e co me more interested

in arts education.y Japanese h as b e co me one of the most popular

courses at the university since the Asianstudies program was established.

y My English h as really impr o ve d since I movedto Australia.

TOPIC 3 Accomplishments

We often use the Present Perfect to list theaccomplishments of individuals and humanity. Youcannot mention a specific time.

Examples:

y Man h as walke d on the Moon.y O ur son h as learne d how to read.y D octors h ave cu re d many deadly diseases.y S cientists h ave split the atom.


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TOPIC 4 An U ncompleted Action You Are Ex pecting

We often use the Present Perfect to say that an actionwhich we expected has not happened. Using the PresentPerfect suggests that we are still waiting for the action tohappen.

Examples:

y James h as n o t f inis h e d his homework yet.y S usan h asn't mastere d Japanese, but she can

communicate.y B ill h as still n o t arrive d .y The rain h asn't st o ppe d .

TOPIC 5 Multiple Actions at Different Times

We also use the Present Perfect to talk about severaldifferent actions which have occurred in the past atdifferent times. Present Perfect suggests the process isnot complete and more actions are possible.

Examples:

y The army h as atta cke d that city five times.y I h ave h a d four quizzes and five tests so far

this semester.y W e h ave h a d many major problems while

working on this project.y S he h as talke d to several specialists about her

problem, but nobody knows why she is sick.

Time Ex pressions with Present Perfect

When we use the Present Perfect it means that somethinghas happened at some point in our lives before now.Remember, the exact time the action happened is notimportant.

Sometimes, we want to limit the time we are looking infor an experience. We can do this with expressions suchas: in the last week, in the last year, this week, thismonth, so far, up to now, etc.

Examples:

y Have you b een to Mexico in t h e last year ?y I h ave seen that movie six times in t h e last

m o nt h .y They h ave h a d three tests in t h e last week .

y S he graduated from university less than threeyears ago. S he h as w o rke d for three differentcompanies so f ar .

y My car h as b ro ken down three times t h isweek .

NOTIC E

"Last year" and "in the last year" are very different inmeaning. "Last year" means the year before now, and itis considered a specific time which requires Simple Past."In the last year" means from 365 days ago until now. Itis not considered a specific time, so it requires PresentPerfect.

Examples:

y I went to Mexico last year .I went to M exico in the calendar year beforethis one.

y I h ave b een to Mexico in t h e last year .

I have been to M exico at least once at some point between 365 days ago and now.

USE 2 Duration From the Past U ntil Now (Non-Continuous Verbs)

With Non- C ontinuous Verbs and non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Present Perfect to show thatsomething started in the past and has continued up untilnow. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "since

Tuesday" are all durations which can be used with thePresent Perfect.

Examples:

y I h ave h a d a cold for two weeks.y S he h as b een in England for six months.y Mary h as l o ve d chocolate since she was a little

girl.

Although the above use of Present Perfect is normallylimited to Non- C ontinuous Verbs and non-continuoususes of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach,"and "study" are sometimes used in this way even though

they are NOT Non- C ontinuous Verbs.


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Examples:

y You have o nly seen that movie one time.y H ave you o nly seen that movie one time?


Examples:

y Many tourists h ave visite d that castle. Active y That castle h as b een visite d by many tourists.

Passive


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Present Per f e ct C o ntin uou s

FORM

[has/have + been + present participle]

Examples:

y You h ave b een waiting here for two hours.y Have you b een waiting here for two hours?y You h ave n o t b een waiting here for two

hours.

C omplete List of Present Perfect C ontinuous Forms

USE 1 Duration from the Past U ntil Now

We use the Present Perfect C ontinuous to show thatsomething started in the past and has continued up untilnow. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and "sinceTuesday" are all durations which can be used with thePresent Perfect C ontinuous.

Examples:

y They h ave b een talking for the last hour.y S he h as b een w o rking at that company for

three years.y W hat h ave you b een d o ing for the last 30

minutes?y James h as b een tea ch ing at the university

since June.y W e h ave b een waiting here for over two

hours!y W hy h as N ancy n o t b een taking her medicine

for the last three days?

USE 2 Recently, Lately

You can also use the Present Perfect C ontinuousWITHOUT a duration such as "for two weeks." Withoutthe duration, the tense has a more general meaning of "lately." We often use the words "lately" or "recently" toemphasize this meaning.

Examples:

y R ecently, I h ave b een f eeling really tired.y S he h as b een wat ch ing too much television

lately.y Have you b een exer cising lately?y Mary h as b een f eeling a little depressed.y Lisa h as n o t b een pra cti cing her English.y W hat h ave you b een d o ing ?

IMPORTANT

Remember that the Present Perfect C ontinuous has themeaning of "lately" or "recently." If you use the PresentPerfect C ontinuous in a question such as "Have you beenfeeling alright?", it can suggest that the person looks sick or unhealthy. A question such as "Have you beensmoking?" can suggest that you smell the smoke on the

person. Using this tense in a question suggests you cansee, smell, hear or feel the results of the action. It is

possible to insult someone by using this tense incorrec tly.

R E M E MB E R Non-Continuous Verbs/ Mi x ed Verbs

It is important to remember that Non- C ontinuous Verbscannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certainnon-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot beused in continuous tenses. Instead of using PresentPerfect C ontinuous with these verbs, you must usePresent Perfect.

Examples:

y S am h as b een h aving his car for two years.N ot Correct

y Sam h as h a d his car for two years. Correct



Examples:

y You have o nly been waiting here for one hour.y H ave you o nly been waiting here for one

hour?


y R ecently, John h as b een d o ing the work. Active

y R ecently, the work h as b een b eing d o ne byJohn. Passiv e


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Fu t u re C o ntin uou s

Future C ontinuous has two different forms: "will bedoing " and "be going to be doing." Unlike Simple Futureforms, Future C ontinuous forms are usuallyinterchangeable.

FORM Future Continuous with "Will"

[will be + present participle]

Examples:

y You will b e waiting for her when her planearrives tonight.

y W ill you b e waiting for her when her planearrives tonight?

y You will n o t b e waiting for her when her planearrives tonight.

FORM Future Continuous with "Be Going To "

[am/is/are + going to be + present participle]

Examples:

y You are g o ing t o b e waiting for her when herplane arrives tonight.

y Are you go ing t o b e waiting for her when herplane arrives tonight?

y You are n o t g o ing t o b e waiting for her whenher plane arrives tonight.

REMEMBER: It is possible to use either "will" or "begoing to" to create the Future C ontinuous with littledifference in meaning.

C omplete List of Future C ontinuous Forms

USE 1 Interrupted Action in the Future

Use the Future C ontinuous to indicate that a longer action in the future will be interrupted by a shorter actionin the future. Remember this can be a real interruption o r

just an interruption in time.

Examples:

y I will b e wat ch ing TV when she arrives tonight.y I will b e waiting for you when your bus

arrives .

y I am g o ing t o b e staying at the Madison H otel,if anything happens and you need to contactme.

y H e will b e st u d ying at the library tonight, sohe will not see Jennifer when she arrives .

Notice in the examples above that the interruptions

(mark ed in it al ics ) are in Simple Present rather thanSimple Future. This is because the interruptions are intime clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in timeclauses.

USE 2 S pecific Time as an Interruption in the Future

In USE 1, described above, the Future C ontinuous isinterrupted by a short action in the future. In addition tousing short actions as interruptions, you can also use a

specific time as an interruption.

Examples:

y Tonight at 6 PM, I am g o ing t o b e eating dinner.I will be in the process of eating dinner.

y At midnight tonight, we will still b e d riving through the desert.W e will be in the process of driving through thedesert.

R E M E MB E R

In the Simple Future, a specific time is used to show thetime an action will begin or end. In the FutureC ontinuous, a specific time interrupts the action.

Examples:

y Tonight at 6 PM, I am g o ing t o eat dinner.I am going to start eating at 6 PM .

y Tonight at 6 PM, I am g o ing t o b e eating dinner.I am going to start earlier and I will be in the

process of eating dinner at 6 PM .


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USE 3 Parallel Actions in the Future

When you use the Future C ontinuous with two actions inthe same sentence, it expresses the idea that both actionswill be happening at the same time. The actions are

parallel.

Examples:

y I am g o ing t o b e st u d ying and he is g o ing t o b e making dinner.

y Tonight, they will b e eating dinner, d iscu ssing their plans, and h aving a good time.

y W hile Ellen is reading , T im will b e wat ch ing television.Notice "is reading" because of the time clausecontaining "while." (See Explanation Below)

USE 4 Atmosphere in the Future

In English, we often use a series of Parallel Actions todescribe atmosphere at a specific point in the future.

Example:

y W hen I arrive at the party, everybody is g o ingt o b e cele b rating . S ome will b e d an cing .O thers are g o ing t o b e talking . A few peoplewill b e eating pizza, and several people arego ing t o b e d rinking beer. They always do thesame thing.

R E M E MB E R No Future in Time Clauses

Like all future tenses, the Future C ontinuous cannot beused in clauses beginning with time expressions such as:when, while, before, a fter, by the time, as soon as, if,unless, etc. Instead of Future C ontinuous, PresentC ontinuous is used.

Examples:

y W hile I am g o ing t o b e f inis h ing myhomework, she is going to make dinner. N ot Correct

y W hile I am f inis h ing my homework, she isgoing to make dinner. Correct

AND R E M E MB E R Non-Continuous Verbs / Mi x edVerbs

It is important to remember that Non- C ontinuous Verbscannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certainnon-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot beused in continuous tenses. Instead of using FutureC ontinuous with these verbs, you must use SimpleFuture.

Examples:

y Jane will b e b eing at my house when youarrive. N ot Correct

y Jane will b e at my house when you arrive.Correct



Examples:

y You will still be waiting for her when her planearrives.

y W ill you still be waiting for her when her planearrives?

y You are still going to be waiting for her whenher plane arrives.

y Are you still going to be waiting for her whenher plane arrives?


Examples:

y At 8:00 PM tonight, John will b e was h ing thedishes. Active

y At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes will b e b eingwas h e d by John. Passive

y At 8:00 PM tonight, John is g o ing t o b ewas h ing the dishes. Active

y At 8:00 PM tonight, the dishes are g o ing t o b eb eing was h e d by John. Passive

NOTE: Passive forms of the Future C ontinuous are notcommon.


20/23

Fu t u re Per f e ct

Future Perfect has two different forms: "will have done"and "be going to have done." Unlike Simple Futureforms, Future Perfect forms are usually interchangeable.

FORM Future Perfect with "Will"

[will have + past participle]

Examples:

y You will h ave per f e cte d your English by thetime you come back from the U. S .

y W ill you h ave per f e cte d your English by thetime you come back from the U. S .?

y You will n o t h ave per f e cte d your English bythe time you come back from the U. S .

FORM Future Perfect with "Be Going To"

[am/is/are + going to have + past participle]

Examples:

y You are g o ing t o h ave per f e cte d your Englishby the time you come back from the U. S .

y Are you go ing t o h ave per f e cte d your Englishby the time you come back from the U. S .?

y You are n o t g o ing t o h ave per f e cte d yourEnglish by the time you come back from theU.S .

NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to"to create the Future Perfect with little or no difference inmeaning.

C omplete List of Future Perfect Forms

USE 1 Completed Action Before S omething in theFuture

The Future Perfect expresses the idea that something willoccur before another action in the future. It can also showthat something will happen before a specific time in thefuture.

Examples:

y B y next N ovember, I will h ave re ceive d mypromotion.

y B y the time he gets home, she is g o ing t o h avecleane d the entire house.

y I am n o t g o ing t o h ave f inis h e d this test by 3o'clock.

y W ill she h ave learne d enough C hinese tocommunicate before she moves to B eijing?

y S am is probably go ing t o h ave co mplete d theproposal by the time he leaves this afternoon.

y B y the time I finish this course, I will h avetaken ten tests.

y H ow many co untries are you go ing t o h avevisite d by the time you turn 50?

Notice in the examples above that the reference points(mark ed in it al ics ) are in Simple Present rather thanSimple Future. This is because the interruptions are intime clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in timeclauses.

USE 2 Duration Before S omething in the Future(Non-Continuous Verbs)

With Non- C ontinuous Verbs and some non-continuoususes of Mixed Verbs, we use the Future Perfect to showthat something will continue up until another action inthe future.

Examples:

y I will h ave b een in London for six months bythe time I leave.

y B y Monday, S usan is g o ing t o h ave h a d mybook for a week.

Although the above use of Future Perfect is normallylimited to Non- C ontinuous Verbs and non-continuoususes of Mixed Verbs, the words "live," "work," "teach,"and "study" are sometimes used in this way even thoughthey are NOT Non- C ontinuous Verbs.


Like all future forms, the Future Perfect cannot be usedin clauses beginning with time expressions such as:when, while, before, after, by t he time, as soon as, if,

unless, etc. Instead of Future Perfect, Present Perfect isused.

Examples:

y I am going to see a movie when I will h avef inis h e d my homework. N ot Correct

y I am going to see a movie when I h ave f inis h e d my homework. Correct


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Examples:

y You will o nly have learned a few words.y W ill you o nly have learned a few words?

y You are o nly going to have learned a fewwords.

y Are you o nly going to have learned a fewwords?


Examples:

y They will h ave co mplete d the project beforethe deadline. Active

y The project will h ave b een co mplete d beforethe deadline. Passive

y They are g o ing t o h ave co mplete d the projectbefore the deadline. Active

y The project is g o ing t o h ave b een co mplete d before the deadline. Passive


22/23

Fu t u re Per f e ct C o ntin uou s

Future Perfect C ontinuous has two different forms: "willhave been doing " and "be going to have been doing."Unlike Simple Future forms, Future Perfect C ontinuous

forms are usually interchangeable.

FORM Future Perfect Continuous with "Will"

[will have been + present participle]

Examples:

y You will h ave b een waiting for more than twohours when her plane finally arrives.

y W ill you h ave b een waiting for more than twohours when her plane finally arrives?

y You will n o t h ave b een waiting for more thantwo hours when her plane finally arrives.

FORM Future Perfect Continuous with "Be GoingTo"

[am/is/are + going to have been + present par ticiple]

Examples:

y You are g o ing t o h ave b een waiting for morethan two hours when h er plane finally arrives.

y Are you go ing t o h ave b een waiting for morethan two hours when h er plane finally arrives?

y You are n o t g o ing t o h ave b een waiting for

more than two hours when her plane finallyarrives.

NOTE: It is possible to use either "will" or "be going to"to create the Future Perfect C ontinuous with little or nodifference in meaning.

C omplete List of Future Perfect C ontinuous Forms

USE 1 Duration Before S omething in the Future

We use the Future Perfect C ontinuous to show thatsomething 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 usedwith the Future Perfect C ontinuous. Not ice that this isrelated to the Present Perfect C ontinuous and the PastPerfect C ontinuous; however, with Future PerfectC ontinuous, the duration stops at or before a reference

point in the future.

Examples:

y They will h ave b een talking for over an hourby the time Thomas arrives .

y S he is g o ing t o h ave b een w o rking at that

company for three years when it finally closes .y James will h ave b een tea ch ing at the

university for more than a year by t he time heleaves for Asia.

y H ow long will you h ave b een st u d ying whenyou graduate ?

y W e are g o ing t o h ave b een d riving for overthree days straight when we get to Anchorage.

y A: W hen you finish your English course, will you h ave b een living in N ew Zealand for overa year?B : N o, I will n o t h ave b een living here thatlong.

Notice in the examples above that the reference points(mark ed in it al ics ) are in Simple Present rather thanSimple Future. This is because these future events are intime clauses, and you cannot use future tenses in timeclauses.

USE 2 Cause of S omething in the Future

Using the Future Perfect C ontinuous before another action in the future is a good way to show cause and

effect.

Examples:

y Jason will be tired when he gets home becausehe will h ave b een jo gging for over an hour.

y C laudia's English will be perfect when shereturns to G ermany because she is g o ing t o h ave b een st u d ying English in the UnitedS tates for over two years.


23/23

$ Future Continuous v s. Future Perfect Continuous

If you do not include a duration such as "for fiveminutes," "for two weeks" or "since Friday," manyEnglish speakers choose to use the Future C ontinuousrather than the Future Perfect C ontinuous. Be careful

because this can change the meaning of the sentence.Future C ontinuous emphasizes interrupted actions,whereas Future Perfect C ontinuous emphasizes aduration of time before something in the future. Studythe examples below to understand the difference.

Examples:

y H e will be tired because he will b e exer cising so hard.T his sentence emphasizes that he will be tired because he will be exercising at that exact moment in the future.

y H e will be tired because he will h ave b eenexer cising so hard.T his 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 beexercising at that moment OR that he will just have finished.


Like all future forms, the Future Perfect C ontinuouscannot be used in clauses beginning with timeexpressions such as: when, while, before, after, by thetime, as soon as, if, unless, etc. Instead of Future PerfectC ontinuous, Present Perfect C ontinuous is used.

Examples:

y You won't get a promotion until you will h aveb een w o rking here as long as T im. Not Correct

y You won't get a promotion until you h aveb een w o rking here as long as T im. Correct

AND R E M E MB E R Non-Continuous Verbs / Mi x edVerbs

It is important to remember that Non- C ontinuous Verbscannot be used in any continuous tenses. Also, certainnon-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs cannot beused in continuous tenses. Instead of using Future PerfectC ontinuous with these verbs, you must use Future Perfect.

Examples:

y N ed will h ave b een h aving his driver's licensefor over two years. N ot Correct

y N ed will h ave h a d his driver's license for overtwo years. Correct



Examples:

y You will o nly have been waiting for a fewminutes when her plane arrives.

y W ill you o nly have been waiting for a fewminutes when her plane arrives?

y You are o nly going to have been waiting for afew minutes when her plane arrives.

y Are you o nly going to have been waiting for afew minutes when her plane arrives?


Examples:

y The famous artist will h ave b een painting themural for over six months by th e time it isfinished. Active

y The mural will h ave b een b eing painte d by thefamous artist for over six months by the time itis finished. Passive

y The famous artist is g o ing t o h ave b eenpainting the mural for over six months by thetime it is finished. Active

y The mural is g o ing t o h ave b een b eing painte d by the famous artist for over six months by thetime it is finished. Passive

tenses' meaning

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