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Verb Tenses

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Modal Auxiliaries

Verb Tenses.

1. Simple Present. The simple present tense in

English is used to describe an action that is

regular, true or normal.

We use the present tense:

1. For repeated or regular actions in the present time period.

I take the train to the office.

The train to Berlin leaves every hour.

John sleeps eight hours every night during the week.

2. For facts.

The President of The USA lives in The White House.

A dog has four legs.

We come from Switzerland.

3. For habits.

I get up early every day.

Carol brushes her teeth twice a day.

They travel to their country house every weekend.

4. For things that are always / generally true.

It rains a lot in winter.

The Queen of England lives in Buckingham Palace.

They speak English at work.

Verb Conjugation & Spelling

We form the present tense using the base form of the infinitive (without the

TO).

In general, in the third person we add 'S' in the third person.

Subject Verb The Rest of the sentence

I / you / we / they speak / learn English at home

he / she / it speaks / learns English at home

The spelling for the verb in the third person differs depending on the ending

of that verb:

1. For verbs that end in -O, -CH, -SH, -SS, -X, or -Z we add -ES in the

third person.

go – goes

catch – catches

wash – washes

kiss – kisses

fix – fixes

buzz – buzzes

2. For verbs that end in a consonant + Y, we remove the Y and add -IES.

marry – marries

study – studies

carry – carries

worry – worries

NOTE: For verbs that end in a vowel + Y, we just add -S.

play – plays

enjoy – enjoys

say – says

To make a negative sentence in English we normally use don’t or doesn’t with all

verbs EXCEPT To Be and Modal verbs (can, might, should etc.).

Affirmative: You speak French.

Negative: You don't speak French.

2. Present Continuous. The present

continuous tense is formed from the

present tense of the verb be and the

present participle (-ing form) of a verb:

Use

1. We use the present continuous tense to talk about the present:

for something that is happening at the moment of speaking:

I’m just leaving work. I’ll be home in an hour.

Please be quiet. The children are sleeping.

for something which is happening before and after a given time:

At eight o’clock we are usually having breakfast.

When I get home the children are doing their homework.

for something which we think is temporary:

Michael is at university. He’s studying history.

I’m working in London for the next two weeks.

for something which is new and contrasts with a previous state:

These days most people are using email instead of writing letters.

What sort of clothes are teenagers wearing nowadays? What sort of music

are they listening to?

to show that something is changing, growing or developing:

The children are growing quickly.

The climate is changing rapidly.

Your English is improving.

for something which happens again and again:

It’s always raining in London.

They are always arguing.

George is great. He’s always laughing.

Note: We normally use always with this use.

2. We use the present continuous tense to talk about the future:

for something which has been arranged or planned:

Mary is going to a new school next term.

What are you doing next week?

3. We can use the present continuous to talk about the past:

When we are telling a story:

When we are summarizing the story from a book, film or play etc.

3. Present Perfect. The present perfect is

formed from the present tense of the verb

have and the past participle of a verb:

The present perfect continuous is formed

with have/has been and the -ing form of

the verb:

Use

We use the present perfect tense:

for something that started in the past and continues in the present:

They’ve been married for nearly fifty years.

She has lived in Liverpool all her life.

Note: We normally use the present perfect continuous for this:

She has been living in Liverpool all her life.

It’s been raining for hours.

for something we have done several times in the past and continue to

do:

I’ve played the guitar ever since I was a teenager.

He has written three books and he is working on another one.

I’ve been watching that programe every week.

We often use a clause with since to show when something started in the past:

They’ve been staying with us since last week.

I have worked here since I left school.

I’ve been watching that programme every week since it started.

when we are talking about our experience up to the present:

Note: We often use the adverb ever to talk about experience up to the

present:

My last birthday was the worst day I have ever had.

Note: and we use never for the negative form:

Have you ever met George?

Yes, but I’ve never met his wife.

for something that happened in the past but is important at the time of

speaking:

I can’t get in the house. I’ve lost my keys.

Teresa isn’t at home. I think she has gone shopping.

I’m tired out. I’ve been working all day.

We use the present perfect of be when someone has gone to a place and

returned:

A: Where have you been?

B: I’ve just been out to the supermarket.

A: Have you ever been to San Francisco?

B: No, but I’ve been to Los Angeles.

But when someone has not returned we use have/has gone:

A: Where is Maria? I haven’t seen her for weeks.

B: She's gone to Paris for a week. She’ll be back tomorrow.

We often use the present perfect with time adverbials which refer to the

recent past:

Just; only just; recently;

Scientists have recently discovered a new breed of monkey.

We have just got back from our holidays.

4. Present Perfect Continuous.

This tense is used to talk about an action

or actions that started in the past and

continued until recently or that continue

into the future:

We can use it to refer to an action that has finished but you can still see

evidence.

Oh, the kitchen is a mess. Who has been cooking?

You look tired. Have you been sleeping properly?

I've got a a stiff neck. I've been working too long on computer.

It can refer to an action that has not finished.

I've been learning Spanish for 20 years and I still don't know very

much.

I've been waiting for him for 30 minutes and he still hasn't arrived.

He's been telling me about it for days. I wish he would stop.

It can refer to a series of actions.

She's been writing to her regularly for a couple of years.

He's been phoning me all week for an answer.

The university has been sending students here for over twenty years to

do work experience.

The present perfect continuous is often used with 'since', 'for', 'all week',

'for days', 'lately', 'recently',

USE 1 Duration from the Past Until Now

We use the Present Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the

past and has continued up until now. "For five minutes," "for two weeks," and

"since Tuesday" are all durations which can be used with the Present Perfect

Continuous.

Examples:

They have been talking for the last hour.

She has been working at that company for three years.

What have you been doing for the last 30 minutes?

James has been teaching at the university since June.

We have been waiting here for over two hours!

Why has Nancy not been taking her medicine for the last three days?

USE 2 Recently, Lately

You can also use the Present Perfect Continuous WITHOUT a duration such as

"for two weeks." Without the duration, the tense has a more general meaning

of "lately." We often use the words "lately" or "recently" to emphasize this

meaning.

Examples:

Recently, I have been feeling really tired.

She has been watching too much television lately.

Have you been exercising lately?

Mary has been feeling a little depressed.

Lisa has not been practicing her English.

What have you been doing?

Remember that the Present Perfect Continuous has the meaning of "lately" or

"recently." If you use the Present Perfect Continuous in a question such as

"Have you been feeling alright?", it can suggest that the person looks sick or

unhealthy. A question such as "Have you been smoking?" can suggest that you

smell the smoke on the person.

5. Simple Past. The simple past or past simple,

sometimes called the preterite, is the basic form of

the past tense in Modern English. It is used

principally to describe events in the past, although it

also has some other uses. Regular English verbs form

the simple past in -ed; however there are a few

hundred irregular verbs with different forms.

USE 1 Completed Action in the Past

Use the Simple Past to express the idea that an action started and finished at

a specific time in the past. Sometimes, the speaker may not actually mention

the specific time, but they do have one specific time in mind.

Examples:

I saw a movie yesterday.

I didn't see a play yesterday.

Last year, I traveled to Japan.

USE 2 A Series of Completed Actions

We use the Simple Past to list a series of completed actions in the past. These

actions happen 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and so on.

Examples:

I finished work, walked to the beach, and found a nice place to swim.

He arrived from the airport at 8:00, checked into the hotel at 9:00,

and met the others at 10:00.

USE 3 Duration in Past

The Simple Past can be used with a duration which starts and stops in the

past. A duration is a longer action often indicated by expressions such as: for

two years, for five minutes, all day, all year, etc.

Examples:

I lived in Brazil for two years.

Shauna studied Japanese for five years.

USE 4 Habits in the Past

The Simple Past can also be used to describe a habit which stopped in the

past. It can have the same meaning as "used to." To make it clear that we are

talking about a habit, we often add expressions such as: always, often, usually,

never, when I was a child, when I was younger, etc.

Examples:

I studied French when I was a child.

He played the violin.

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 4 above, this use of the Simple Past is

quite similar to the expression "used to."

Examples:

She was shy as a child, but now she is very outgoing.

He didn't like tomatoes before.

6. Past Continuous. The past continuous tense

expresses action at a particular moment in the

past. The action started before that moment but

has not finished at that moment.

The past continuous describes actions or events in

a time before now, which began in the past and

was still going on at the time of speaking. In other words, it expresses an

unfinished or incomplete action in the past.

It is used:

Often, to describe the background in a story written in the past tense,

e.g. "The sun was shining and the birds were singing as the elephant

came out of the jungle. The other animals were relaxing in the shade of

the trees, but the elephant moved very quickly. She was looking for her

baby, and she didn't notice the hunter who was watching her through

his binoculars. When the shot rang out, she was running towards the

river..."

To describe an unfinished action that was interrupted by another event

or action, e.g. "I was having a beautiful dream when the alarm clock

rang."

To express a change of mind: e.g. "I was going to spend the day at the

beach but I've decided to go on an excursion instead."

With 'wonder', to make a very polite request: e.g. "I was wondering if

you could baby-sit for me tonight."

7. Past Perfect. We use the Past Perfect tense

to emphasize that an action in the past finished

before another action in the past started. This

tense is also used in reported speech, third

conditional sentences, or to show

dissatisfaction with the past.

Use:

Use 1: A completed action before another action in the past

The first use of this tense is to emphasize that one action in the past

happened before another action in the past.

I had finished my homework before I went playing football.

John had never been to London before we went there last year.

Use 2: Third conditional

Use the Past Perfect with third conditional sentences.

If we had gone by taxi, we wouldn't have been late.

If Mary had studied harder, she would have passed the exam

Use 3: Reported speech

Use the Past Perfect with sentences in reported speech.

Mary said she had already seen this film.

He asked if I had read Harry Potter.

Use 4: Dissatisfaction with the Past

We often use the Past Perfect to show our dissatisfaction with the past. Such

sentences typically start with "I wish ..." or "If only ...".

I wish I had taken more food. I'm hungry now.

If only I had taken more food. I'm hungry now.

8. Past Perfect Continuous. The past perfect

continuous is formed with had been and the -

ing form of the verb:

I had been finishing the work

she had been going.

USE 1 Duration Before Something in the Past

We use the Past Perfect Continuous to show that something started in the

past and continued up until another time in the past. "For five minutes" and

"for two weeks" are both durations which can be used with the Past Perfect

Continuous. Notice that this is related to the Present Perfect Continuous;

however, the duration does not continue until now, it stops before something

else in the past.

Examples:

They had been talking for over an hour before Tony arrived.

She had been working at that company for three years when it went

out of business.

How long had you been waiting to get on the bus?

USE 2 Cause of Something in the Past

Using the Past Perfect Continuous before another action in the past is a good

way to show cause and effect.

Examples:

Jason was tired because he had been jogging.

Sam gained weight because he had been overeating.

Betty failed the final test because she had not been attending class.

Past Continuous vs. Past Perfect Continuous

If you do not include a duration such as "for five minutes," "for two weeks" or

"since Friday," many English speakers choose to use the Past Continuous

rather than the Past Perfect Continuous. Be careful because this can change

the meaning of the sentence. Past Continuous emphasizes interrupted actions,

whereas Past Perfect Continuous emphasizes a duration of time before

something in the past.

It is important to remember that Non-Continuous Verbs cannot be used in any

continuous tenses. Also, certain non-continuous meanings for Mixed Verbs

cannot be used in continuous tenses. Instead of using Past Perfect Continuous

with these verbs, you must use Past Perfect.

Examples:

The motorcycle had been belonging to George for years before Tina

bought it. Not Correct

The motorcycle had belonged to George for years before Tina bought

it. Correct

9. Future Simple. Simple Future has two

different forms in English: "will" and "be

going to." Although the two forms can

sometimes be used interchangeably, they

often express two very different

meanings. These different meanings might seem too abstract at first, but

with time and practice, the differences will become clear. Both "will" and "be

going to" refer to a specific time in the future.

FORM Will

[will + verb]

Examples:

You will help him later.

Will you help him later?

You will not help him later.

FORM Be Going To

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

Examples:

You are going to meet Jane tonight.

USE 1 "Will" to Express a Voluntary Action

"Will" often suggests that a speaker will do something voluntarily. A voluntary

action is one the speaker offers to do for someone else. Often, we use "will"

to respond to someone else's complaint or request for help. We also use "will"

when we request that someone help us or volunteer to do something for us.

Similarly, we use "will not" or "won't" when we refuse to voluntarily do

something.

Examples:

I will send you the information when I get it.

I will translate the email, so Mr. Smith can read it.

USE 2 "Will" to Express a Promise

"Will" is usually used in promises.

Examples:

I will call you when I arrive.

If I am elected President of the United States, I will make sure

everyone has access to inexpensive health insurance.

USE 3 "Be going to" to Express a Plan

"Be going to" expresses that something is a plan. It expresses the idea that a

person intends to do something in the future. It does not matter whether the

plan is realistic or not.

Examples:

He is going to spend his vacation in Hawaii.

She is not going to spend her vacation in Hawaii.

USE 4 "Will" or "Be Going to" to Express a Prediction

Both "will" and "be going to" can express the idea of a general prediction

about the future. Predictions are guesses about what might happen in the

future. In "prediction" sentences, the subject usually has little control over

the future and therefore USES 1-3 do not apply. In the following examples,

there is no difference in meaning.

Examples:

The year 2222 will be a very interesting year.

The year 2222 is going to be a very interesting year.

10. Future Continuous. The future

continuous is made up of two elements:

the simple future of the verb 'to be' +

the present participle (base+ing)

Future continuous, function

The future continuous refers to an unfinished action or event that will be in

progress at a time later than now. It is used:

To project ourselves into the future and see something happening:

This time next week I will be sun-bathing in Bali.

To refer to actions/events that will happen in the normal course of

events:

I'll be seeing Jim at the conference next week.

In the interrogative form, especially with 'you', to distinguish between a

simple request for information and an invitation:

Will you be coming to the party tonight? (= request for information)

Will you come to the party? (= invitation)

To predict or guess about someone's actions or feelings, now or in the

future:

You'll be feeling tired after that long walk, I expect.

Events in progress in the future:

When you are in Australia will you be staying with friends?

This time next week you will be working in your new job.

At four thirty on Tuesday afternoon I will be signing the contract.

Events/actions in normal course of events:

I'll be going into town this afternoon, is there anything you want from

the shops?

Will you be using the car tomorrow? - No, you can take it.

I'll be seeing Jane this evening - I'll give her the message.

Asking for information:

Will you be bringing your friend to the pub tonight?

Will Jim be coming with us?

Predicting or guessing:

You'll be feeling thirsty after working in the sun.

He'll be coming to the meeting, I expect.

11. Future Perfect. Is a verb form or construction

used to describe an event that is expected or

planned to happen before a time of reference in the

future, such as will have finished in the English

sentence "I will have finished by tomorrow."

In English, the future perfect construction consists

of the auxiliary verb will (or shall; see shall and will)

to mark the future, the auxiliary verb have to mark

the perfect, and the past participle of the main verb

(the second component of the English perfect construction). For example:

She will have fallen asleep by the time we get home.

I shall have gone by then.

Will you have finished when I get back?

The first auxiliary may be contracted to 'll: see English auxiliaries and

contractions. The negative form is made with will not or shall not; these have

their own contractions won't and shan't. Some examples:

I'll have made the dinner by 6.

He won't have done (or will not have done) it by this evening.

Won't you have finished by Thursday? (or Will you not have finished

by Thursday?)

Most commonly the future perfect is used with a time marker that indicates

by when (i.e. prior to what point in time) the event is to occur, as in the

previous examples. However it is also possible for it to be accompanied by a

marker of the retrospective time of occurrence, as in "I will have done it on

the previous Tuesday". This is in contrast to the present perfect, which is not

normally used with a marker of past time: one would not say *"I have done it

last Tuesday", since the inclusion of the past time marker last Tuesday would

entail the use of the simple past rather than the present perfect.

12. Future Perfect Continuous. We

use the Future Perfect Continuous

tense to express situations that

will last for a specified period of

time at a definite moment in the

future. We also use this tense to

express certainty about the cause

of some future situation.

USE 1: Duration

We use this tense to express situations that will last for a specified period of

time at a definite moment in the future. It is important that we expect these

situations to last longer.

Before they come, we will have been cleaning the house for 5 hours.

By the next year, Ben and his wife will have been living together for 50

years.

USE 2: Cause

English speakers also use this tense when they want to express certainty

about the cause of some future situation.

By this time, he will have been working for 12 hours, so he will be very

tired.

We will be making a rest stop in half an hour, because you will have been

driving the car for 6 hours by then.

The modal auxiliaries (or modals) include the following:

Can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would . . .

Modals are always followed by the base form of a verb or auxiliary verb.

Modals are always the same form no matter what the subject is. In standard

American English, a predicate verb phrase cannot contain more than one modal.

Correct

He will be able to go.

Not correct

* He will can go.

Modals and related verb phrases add meanings to verbs. Below are some of

those meanings:

Ability/Availability

Future: will be able to

Present: can, am/is/are able to

Past: could, was/were able to

Requests

Present/future: can, could, will, would

Permission

Future: will be allowed to

Present/future: may, can, could, am/is/are allowed to

Past: could, was/were allowed to

Possibility

Present/future: may, might, could

Past: may have, might have, could have

Impossibility

Present/future: couldn’t, can’t

Advisability

Present/future: should, ought to, had better

Past: should have, ought to have, had better have

Expectation

Present/future: should, ought to

Past: should have, ought to have

Necessity

Future: will have to

Present/future: must, have to, has to

Past: had to

SOCIAL MODALS

The choice of modal depends partly on the social situation.

We often use formal language with strangers (people we don’t know) and

superiors (people with some power over us such as our employers, doctors, and

teachers).

We often use informal language with our equals (our friends and family) and

subordinates (people we have some power over such as our employees or

children).

Martínez Panameño Sofía Elena