TENSES IN ENGLISH

TENSES	AFIR/ INT/ NEG	USES	KEY WORDS
SIMPLE PRESENT	He speaks Does he speak? He doesn’t speak	Ø  Habitual actions I go to school from Monday to Friday Ø  How often something happens She goes to gym three times a week Ø  One action follows another      I wake up, have a      shower, get dressed, … Ø  General truths The sun rises in the east Ø  Future meaning: timetable, programmes Our train leaves at 11 a.m. tomorrow	Always Every day/month….. Never Normally Often Seldom Sometimes Once/Twice/ Three ….. times a …. First ….. then
PRESENT CONTINUOUS OR PROGRESSIVE	He is speaking Is he speaking? He isn’t speaking	Ø  Things that are       happening at the       moment of speaking       Listen! The baby is       crying Ø  Temporary situations I’m staying with a friend these days Ø  Annoying habits (with always, forever constantly) You’re always complaining about everything Ø  Definitive future plans Next weekend we are having a 90’s party	Now At the moment Look! Listen! At present These days Nowadays Today Tonight Next week/month..
PRESENT PERFECT	They have spoken Have they spoken? They haven’t     spoken	Ø  An action started in the past and continues up to the present We have had the same car for ten years Ø  Recently finished actions       I’ve just finished my       lunch	For / Since Just Already Yet Ever / Never So far Recently /Lately
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS OR PROGRESSIVE	She has been      speaking Has she been      speaking? She hasn’t been      speaking	Ø  An action which started in the past and continues up to now They have been going out together for ten years Ø  To emphasize the continuation or duration of an activity I have been working in this room for eight hours Ø  About an activity that has recently stopped or just stopped. And there is a connection with now He has been working very hard (now he is            tired)	All day The whole day For Since How long Recently Lately All morning/       afternoon/ …        week/ month/..
SIMPLE PAST	I spoke Did I speak? I didn’t speak	Ø  Actions finished in the past       They bought in the        market every day Ø  Actions in the past taking place one after the other She woke up, had a shower, got dressed, had breakfast …. Ø  Actions in the past taking place in the middle of another one While he was Watching TV, he fell asleep Ø  2nd type of conditional If I won the lottery, I’d travel around the world	Yesterday ….. ago Last Sunday/   month / year … in 2010
PAST CONTINUOUS OR PROGRESSIVE	We were speaking Were we speaking? We weren’t         speaking	Ø  An action happened in       the middle of another       action       I was studying when       the light went off Ø  An action which was in progress in an specific time in the past They were dancing at 10 yesterday Ø  Two actions which were in progress at the same time in the past She was cooking while her husband was hoing the ironing Ø  To give background information in a story It was getting dark, I was walking down when I saw a strange man ……	When While As long as As
PAST PERFECT	They had spoken Had they spoken? They hadn’t        spoken	Ø  To talk about a past action that ended before another action or time in the past The film had started before we arrived Ø  To show the cause of a past action I was tired on Monday, I hadn’t slept well the      night before	For / Since When After Before As soon as By the time Until
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS OR PROGRESSIVE	He had been      speaking Had he been       speaking? He hadn’t been       speaking	Ø  To emphasize the continuation of an action which was in progress before another action or time in the past Sara had been working here for ten years when she had the accident Ø  To show the cause of a past action I had been travelling all night, so I was       tired	When Before By the time For Since How long
GOING TO	They are going to      speaking Are they going to      speaking? They aren’t going      to speaking	Ø  Future plans and       intentions       I’m going to study       a lot this year Ø  Decisions before the moment of speaking She is going to have a party next weekend Ø  Predictions based on evidences       I feel terrible. I’m       going to feel sick	Next week Tomorrow In one year
SIMPLE FUTURE	She will speak Will she speak? She won’t speak	Ø  To make offers, promises, refusals Don’t worry, I’ll help you Ø  Unplanned decisions that we make at the time of speaking I’ll buy this one. It’s the most beautiful dress! Ø  Predictions not based on evidences I think one day people will have holidays on Mars Ø  1st type of conditional If you ask her, she will help you	Next month/year Tomorrow I think Probably Perhaps
FUTURE CONTINUOUS	You will be     speaking Will you be      speaking? You won’t be      speaking	Ø  To say that an action will be in progress at a certain time in the future This time next month I’ll be lying on the sofa	In one week/year This time next …
FUTURE PERFECT	I will have spoken Will I have     spoken? I won’t have      spoken	Ø  To say that something will already be completed before a specified time in the future       We will have finished       our final exams       by the end of May	By Monday, …. In a week
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS	You will have    been speaking Will you have been       speaking? You won’t have    been speaking	Ø  To emphasize the length of an event at a time in the future In October we will have been living in London for two years	For All day long
CONDITIONAL SIMPLE	She would speak Would she speak? She wouldn’t      speak	Ø  For something that might happen I would travel around the world Ø  2nd type of conditional I would fly to Sidney if I had money
CONDITIONAL CONTINUOUS	She would be      speaking Would she be       speaking? She wouldn’t be      speaking	Ø  To emphasize on the course of an action that might take place Usually I would be working at this time
CONDITIONAL PERFECT	They would have      spoken Would they have       spoken? They wouldn’t     have spoken	Ø  For something that might have happened They would have watched that film last week Ø  3rd type of conditional I would have phoned you, if you hadn’t switched your mobile off
CONDITIONAL PERFECT CONTINUOUS	I would have been      speaking Would you have   been speaking? You wouldn’t have    been speaking	Ø  For something that might have been happening in the past Mary would have been singing in the concert