USES OF ENGLISH TENSES

TENSES	SIGNAL WORDS	USES
PRESENT  SIMPLE	- Adverbs of frequency:    always, usually, often,    rarely, seldom, never - Every day / week /    month / year - On Fridays / Mondays	-       Habitual actions or routines :        I play tennis every Tuesdays -       Generally truths         The sun rises in the east -       Permanent situations         I study at Mater Purissima School -       Consecutive actions          I arrive at home at 2.45, have lunch,            rest a little, do my homework, …… -       Timetables             The plane takes off at 4.15
PRESENT  CONTINUOUS	- For a few days - Today / tonight - At the moment - Later  - Currently - Little by Little - Look! / Listen!	-       Temporary situations       I am staying with a friend for a few days -       Happening now Susan is sleeping at the moment -       Annoying habits (with always) You are always losing your keys -       Changing situations The weather is improving -       Definitive future plans I am meeting my friends later
PRESENT  PERFECT	- For / Since - Yet, Already - Just - Recently - Ever, never - So far - Up to now - How long	-       To talk about a state that started in the  past and continuous until now I haven’t seen Kevin since last week Up to now I have completed 5 reports
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS	-       For / since -       All day -       The whole day -       How long	-       Action started in the past and has just  finished now I have been doing English exercises all     evening -       To emphasize the length of time of an Action
SIMPLE PAST	- Yesterday - Last week / month /           year - Ago - The other day - Last Tuesday / Sunday/            Friday - In 2017	-       Action finished in the past They visited their grandparents every           weekends -       Action taking part in the middle of another action When I was having a shower, the pone        rang -       Consecutive actions in the past I got up at 7.00, had a shower, got dressed, had breakfast and left home
PAST  CONTINUOUS	-       While -       At 10.20  yesterday  morning	-       To describe an action that was in progress  at a specific time in the past Mary was working at 10 yesterday -       To talk about an action which was in  progress when a second action happened I was playing my favourite game when the electricity went out -       To give background information in a story It was getting dark, I was walking down  the road when I saw a strange man … -       For simultaneous actions in the past She was having a bath while her husband was cooking
PAST PERFECT	-       Never -       Already -       Just -       By the time -       Before -       After	-       One event happened before another event The meeting had already started when I Arrived
PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS	-       How long -       Since / For	-       How long something had happened before something else happened (emphasize)
GOING TO		-       Future plans and intentions I am going to study a lot this year -       Decisions before the moment of speaking We are going to have a disguised party next weekend -       Predicitions with evidences I feel terrible. I’m going to be sick
WILL		-       Unplanned decisions, taken at the moment of speaking I’ll take this one. This is the most beautiful dress -       To make an offer, promises and refusals Don’t worry. I’ll help you I’ll return your book as soon as I’ve read it No, I won’t do your homework for you  -       Predictions without evidences One day people will have holidays on Mars
FUTURE CONTINUOUS		-       To say that an action will be in pogress at a  certain time in the future This time tomorrow, I willbe lying on the beach in the sun
FUTURE  PERFECT	- by …	-       To say that something will already be  completed before a specified time in the  futurre.  We will have finished our dinner by 9.00
FUTURE  PERFECT CONTINUOUS		-       Something will already have happened  beforea certain time in the future   (emphasize) Next year I will have been working here for four hours
CONDITIONAL SIMPLE		-       Something that might happen They would open the store next week
CONDITIONAL CONTINUOUS		-       Actions which might take place and put  emphasis on the length of the action. I wouldn’t be sleeping all day
CONDITIONAL PERFECT		-       Something that might have happened in  the  past I wouldn’t have stayed in my hometown
CONDITIONAL PERFECT CONTINUOUS		-       Something that might have happened in  the past. (Emphasize) Frida would have been singing

Tenses Review

2ND  BACH – UNIT 0

REVIEW OF TENSES

Fill in the gaps with the correct tense

1)  My parents (recently / buy) _____________________ some property in the south of France. They (build) _____________________ a summer cottage there at the moment.

2)  Andy and Sally (go) _____________________ to a concert tomorrow night. They 

(look) _____________________ forward to it all week

3)  When he (found) _____________________ Microsoft, Bill Gates was only 20 years old. He (already/write) _____________________ his first computer program seven years earlier.

4)  Mrs. Smith said that one day she (retire) _____________________ from teaching. She mentioned that she (spend) _____________________ her time learning about computers.

5)  They (stand) _____________________ in the queue for an hour when the manager (inform) _____________________ them that no more tickets were available.

6)  The men (sentence) _____________________ to eight years in prison. They (rob) _____________________ many banks.

7)  The building the squatters (live in) _____________________ at present (abandon) _____________________ for a year.

8)  If the rate of unemployment (not be) _____________________ so high, there (be) _____________________ fewer violent incidents. Let’s hope this situation will change soon.

9)  If I (make) _____________________ more of an effort during my school years. I (accept) _____________________ at university. Now I am sorry I didn’t

10)   An accident (occur) _____________________ near my house last night. A cat (hit) _____________________ a young man. He (ride) _____________________ his bicycle when someone in front of him suddenly (open) _____________________ a car door. Several witnesses (see) _____________________ the accident. The police (question) _____________________ them last night

11)   Robert (watch) _____________________ the news in English every day on TV and it (help) _____________________ him with his English. He says. “If you (watch) _____________________ the news in English, it (help) _____________________ you too”

12)   I saw a film a week ago, but I (not enjoy) _____________________ it very much. The problem was that I (already read) _____________________ the book. If I (not read) _____________________ the book first, I probably (enjoy) _____________________ the film more. 

13)   Alan (be) _____________________ in a car accident yesterday. The other driver (lose) _____________________ control of his car because he (fall) _____________________ asleep. If he (stop) _____________________ to rest, the accident (not occur) _____________________

14)   My car (break) _____________________ down yesterday on my way home from work. I (fix) _____________________ if I (know) _____________________ what to do but how I didn’t, I (have to) _____________________ take it to the garage.

15)   Last night my neighbour (knock) _____________________ on the door. She wanted my father to move his car. She said she (can not) _____________________ get out of her parking space.

16)   Linda (phone) _____________________ and (explain) _____________________ that she (not come) _____________________ to our party the next day because she (be) _____________________ still sick.

17)   Barry had an argument with Tom. Barry said that he (return) _____________________ Tom’s money the week before. Tom insisted that he (not receive) _____________________ it.

18)   My teacher (ask) _____________________ me if I (ever use) _____________________ a computer before. I explained to him that I (learn) _____________________ to use computers the year before. He said that it (be) _____________________ fantastic and (ask) _____________________ me to help some of the other students in the class.

19)   My sister (fly) _____________________ home from London today. Her flight (arrive) _____________________ in one hour so I (leave) _____________________ the house right now to get to the airport on time.

20)   I (sleep) _____________________ when the fire (break out) _____________________

21)   She (not see) _____________________ her father since he (start) _____________________ to work in France two years ago.

22)   I (not sleep) _____________________ at all last night, someone (listen) _____________________ to loud music all night.

23)   Once Susan (pay) _____________________ her fare, she’ll sit at the back of the bus.

24)   “(you, write) _____________________ to him tonight?” Yes, I always (write) _____________________ to him on his birthday. (you, want) _____________________ to send him a message?

25)   “I (just, be) _____________________ to see the film “The Da Vinci’s Code” “(you, see) _____________________ it? “ No, I haven’t. Is it like the book?” “I don’t know, I (not read) _____________________ the book”

26)   Unless he (sell) _____________________ more, he won’t get much commission.

27)   She looked as if her husband (get) _____________________ the sack

28)   While I was waiting for the bus, there (be) _____________________ a robbery at the bank. After the robbers (go away) _____________________, the police (appear) _____________________  but they ( not be able, catch) _____________________ them.

29)   Before Peter went out home, he (write) _____________________ a note to Mary saying that he (not be able, come back) _____________________ for dinner that evening.

30)   “Who (move) _____________________ the furniture about upstairs?” “It’s Tom, he (paint) _____________________ the front bedroom”.

31)   He (always, say) _____________________ that he will mend the window but he never (do) _____________________ it.

32)   I used to ski when I (be) _____________________ at university but I (break) _____________________ a leg five years ago and since then I (not do) _____________________ any skiing.

33)   He (park) _____________________ his car under a No Parking sign and (rush) _____________________ into a shop. When he (come) _____________________ out of the shop ten minutes later the car (be) _____________________ no longer there. He (wonder) _____________________ if someone (steal) _____________________ it or if the police (take) _____________________ it away.

34)   Do not worry! I (give) _____________________ you a call at 6.30, Peter, in any case you (fall) _____________________ asleep again before your alarm clock (go) _____________________ off.

35)   I’m sorry. If I (know) _____________________ before you were still reading them, I (not throw) _____________________ the magazines away.

36)   I (not see) _____________________ him for three years. I wonder where he (be) _____________________

37)   “He’s cut my hair too short” “Don’t worry! It (grow) _____________________ again very quickly”

38)   If she (know) _____________________ his address, she’d visit him

39)   She had a headache; otherwise she (come) _____________________ with us

40)   Would you visit me if I (send) _____________________ to prison?