THE TENSES VERBS

This table can help you to find differences between the most common tenses in the English speaking.

Name of Tense	Example	Meaning	Form	Key Time Expressions
Simple Present	I like to walk I listen music	Routines, Habits, Facts Is a personal information	Subject + Infinitive verb + Object	Now, Always, often, usually, seldom, never, sometimes, every day,every year
Present Continuous or Progressive	I am working She is eating you're jumping I'm going to class	An unfinished action Present of future plan	Subject + To be + verb + < ing form >	- At the moment -  Right Now - Tomorrow -  Next
Present Perfect	I have lived in 4 Countries I have had three cars	An action that occurred in the past at an unspecific moment	Subject + Have/Has + Past Participle	All my life, Before, Since, Yet, for , already,never, ever, so far, up to now, just, recently
Present Perfect Continuous or Progressive	I have been working for four years	An unfinished action that began in the past and is still occurring	Have+ Been+ verb < ing  form>	For, Every day, Long time,The Whole day, since,
Simple Past	I was at home I listened music I worked Yesterday	A finished action in the past	Subject + verb in past + object	Yesterday, Last week. Last year , two month ago
Past Continuous or Progressive	I was sleeping when the earth tremor happened I was working in San Francisco in 2004	An unfinished action in the past	Subject + (was/were) + verb + < ing form >	When, while,
Past Perfect	I hadn't seen my friend a years, until we met at the beach one afternoon, By the time I was at home, they had already left.	Past of the past	Subject + Had + Past participle	Until                        Before             Then  Already
Past Perfect Continuous or progressive	Before I come to class I had been smoking I had been studying	A continuous action that took place before another past event.	Had + Been ( PP ) + Verb + < ing form >	Before, Until, By the time, Already
Simple Future	I will run in the morning	Future Intention	Subject + Will + Verb in present	Tomorrow , soon, next
Future Continuous or progressive	What will you be doing at this time tomorrow? I'm going to be studying  at this time tomorrow He'll be sleeping when we get there!	Action in progress in the future	Will + to be + verb +       < ing form >	Tomorrow, Soon, Next. This time, When, While
Future Perfect	I will have done my homework by Wednesday I will have finished my homework by the time you get home!	Finished action in the future before another event.	Will + have + Past Participle.	By the time, By
Future Perfect Continuous or progressive	How long will she have been working by the time get there? By the time we get to the airport, she will have already been traveling for 8 hours.	An action that will be taking place in the future, before another action in the future	Will + Have + Been + Verb + < ing form >	Already, By the time, By

Simple Past vs Past Perfet - Exercise

Each menu selected the alternative that seems most appropriate after analyzing each situation-

1.	Yesterday I ― bought have bought all the ingredients to make the cake..
2.	I ― didn't give haven't given a birthday gift to my grandfather yet.
3.	― Did you ever drive Have you ever driven a Mercedes or Ferrari?
4.	We  ― took have taken my mother to Playa del Carmen in 2007.
5.	I ― never ate have never eaten octopus. What is it like?
6.	I  ― tried have tried Peruvian Ceviche for the first time when I was 12.
7.	Oh, I'm sorry. I ― just broke have just broken this glass a minute ago.
8.	― Did you eat Have you eaten you eat a huge dinner at Morrison Tavern last night?
9.	We ― were never have never been to a Chinese restaurant.
10.	She  ― sold has sold her old laptop for $500 this morning. USE 1 Completed Action Before Something in the Past The Past Perfect expresses the idea that something occurred before another action in the past. It can also show that something happened before a specific time in the past. Example: ·       I had never seen such a beautiful beach before I went to Kauai. ·       I did not have any money because I had lost my wallet. USE 2 Duration Before Something in the Past (Non-Continuous Verbs) With Non-Continuous Verbs and some non-continuous uses of Mixed Verbs, we use the Past Perfect to show that something started in the past and continued up until another action in the past. Example: ·       We had had that car for ten years before it broke down. ·       By the time Alex finished his studies, he had been in London for over eight years. IMPORTANT Specific Times with the Past Perfect Unlike with the Present Perfect, it is possible to use specific time words or phrases with the Past Perfect. Although this is possible, it is usually not  necessary. Example: MOREOVER If the Past Perfect action did occur at a specific time, the Simple  Past can be used instead of the Past Perfect when "before" or "after" is used in the sentence. The words "before" and "after" actually tell you what happens first, so the Past Perfect is optional. For this reason, both sentences below are correct. Examples: ·       She had visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996. ·       She visited her Japanese relatives once in 1993 before she moved in with them in 1996.

Modal Verbs or Auxiliary verbs

Write the correct modal verb. Note that in some cases there is more than one correct answer.!

Principio del formulario

Martha was looking out of the window when she noticed the clouds in the sky.

"Wow," she called, "it seems like it rain."

Martha: Philip! I think you take the umbrella with you.

Philip: Oh no… The umbrella is too big! I not carry it by myself. I rather leave it at home.

Martha: What are you talking about? You get wet for sure!

Philip: You know, Martha, people get wet. It's not the end of the world. I just go without it?

Martha: No, you not. Janet told her husband that he leave without his umbrella and look what happen to him.

Philip: What happened to him?

Martha: you please stop talking and take your umbrella with you?

Philip: There aren't that many clouds in the sky. It not rain after all.

Martha: You be joking.

Philip: Well, a man do what a man do. I take the umbrella. I take anything else?

Martha: If I were you I be happy to take an umbrella.

Philip: I like to be happy, but it's too heavy!

Simple Past/ Present Perfect

HOMEWORK

Using the words in parentheses, complete the text below with the appropriate tenses

Since computers were first introduced to the public in the early 1980's, technology (change)  a great deal. The first computers (be)  simple machines designed for basic tasks. They (have, not)  much memory and they (be, not)  very powerful. Early computers were often quite expensive and customers often (pay) thousands of dollars for machines which actually (do)  very little. Most computers (be)  separate, individual machines used mostly as expensive typewriters or for playing games. 

Times (change) . Computers (become)  powerful machines with very practical applications. Programmers (create)  a large selection of useful programs which do everything from teaching foreign languages to bookkeeping. We are still playing video games, but today's games (become)  faster, more exciting interactive adventures. Many computer users (get, also)  on the Internet and (begin)  communicating with other computer users around the world. We (start)  to create international communities online. In short, the simple, individual machines of the past (evolve)  into an international World Wide Web of knowledge.

Helping Verbs !

Modals - English Grammar : What are Modal Verbs?

Modal verbs are special verbs which behave very differently from normal verbs. Here are some important differences:

1. Modal verbs do not take "-s" in the third person.

Examples:

• He can  speak Chinese.
• She should  be here by 9:00.

2. You use "not" to make modal verbs negative, even in Simple Present and Simple Past.

Examples:

• He should not be late.
• They might not come to the party.

3. Many modal verbs cannot be used in the past tenses or the future tenses.

Examples:

• He will can go with us. Not Correct
• She musted study very hard. Not Correct

Common Modal Verbs

Can Could May Might Must

Ought to Shall Should Will Would

For the purposes of this topic, I have included some expressions which are not modal verbs including had better, have to, and have got to. These expressions are closely related to modals in meaning and are often interchanged with them.

1) can

Use                                                                                                                               Examples

ability to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be able to)                                  I can speak English.

permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be allowed to)                   Can I go to the cinema?

request                                                                                                                        Can you wait a moment, please?

offer                                                                                                                             I can lend you my car till tomorrow.

suggestion                                                                                                                 Can we visit Grandma at the weekend?

possibility                                                                                                                   It can get very hot in Arizona.

2) could

Use                                                                                                                           Examples

ability to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be able to)                                    I could speak English.

permission to do sth. in the past (substitute form: to be allowed to)                     I could go to the cinema.

polite question *                                                                                                      Could I go to the cinema, please?

polite request *                                                                                                       Could you wait a moment, please?

polite offer *                                                                                                             I could lend you my car till tomorrow.

polite suggestion *                                                                                                 Could we visit Grandma at the weekend?

possibility *                                                                                                            It could get very hot in Montana.

3) may

Use                                                                                                                             Examples

possibility                                                                                                                   It may rain today.

permission to do sth. in the present (substitute form: to be allowed to)                  May I go to the cinema?

polite suggestion                                                                                                        May I help you?

4) might

Use                                                                                                   Examples

possibility (less possible than may) *                                             It might rain today.

hesitant offer *                                                                                 Might I help you?

5) must

Use                                                                                                  Examples

force, necessity                                                                              I must go to the supermarket today.

possibility                                                                                       You must be tired.

advice, recommendation                                                               You must see the new film with Brad Pitt.

6) must not/may not

Use                                                                                                  Examples

prohibition                                                                                       You mustn't work on dad's computer.

         You may not work on dad's computer.

7) need not

Use                                                                                                 Examples

not necessary                                                                                I needn't go to the supermarket, we're going to the restaurant  tonight.     

8) ought to

Use                                                                                                Examples

advice                                                                                           You ought to drive carefully in bad weather.

obligation                                                                                      You ought to switch off the light when you leave the room.

9) shall

instead of will in the 1st person

Use                                                                                                Examples

suggestion                                                                                     Shall I carry your bag?

10) should

Use                                                                                                Examples

advice                                                                                           You should drive carefully in bad weather.

obligation                                                                                      You should switch off the light when you leave the room.

11) will

Use                                                                                               Examples

wish, request, demand, order (less polite than would)               Will you please shut the door?

prediction, assumption                                                                I think it will rain on Friday.

promise                                                                                        I will stop smoking.

spontaneous decision                                                                  Can somebody drive me to the station? - I will.

habits                                                                                            She's strange, she'll sit for hours without talking.

12) would

Use                                                                                               Examples

wish, request (more polite than will)                                           Would you shut the door, please?

habits in the past                                                                         Sometimes he would bring me some flowers.

* no past forms - future forms

Modals, Auxiliaries

be, have and do can be auxiliaries and full verbs.

Modals are: can, could, may, might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, would and need

(need can be a full verb, too).

We can play football.

We could play football.

We may play football.

We might play football.

We must play football.

We mustn't play football.

We needn't play football.

We ought to play football.

We shall play football.

We should play football.

We will play football.

We would play football.

Note:

1) Do not use modals for things which happen definitely.                         The sun rises in the East.

2) They do not have an -s in the 3rd person singular.                               He can play football.

3) Questions are formed without do/does/did.                                         Can he speak Spanish?

4) It follows a full verb in the infinitive.                                                      They must read the book.

5) There are no past forms (except could and would).                            He was allowed to watch the film.

6) When you use the past particple, you tell about things which did not happen in the past.          You should have told me.

Form

positive                                                                               negative

long form            contracted form                               long form            contracted form

can                         --                                                            cannot                   can't

could                      --                                                            could not               couldn't

may                        --                                                            may not                                 --

might                      --                                                            might not               --

ought to                --                                                            ought not to          oughtn't to

--                             --                                                            need not               needn't

shall                       'll                                                            shall not                shan't

should                   'd                                                            --                             shouldn't

will                          'll                                                            will not                   won't

would                     'd                                                            would not              wouldn't

have or have got

Affirmative sentences

have                                                                                       have got

I have a brother.                                                                    I have got a brother.

I've got a brother.

have got is often used in its contracted form even in written language.

Negation

have                                                                                    have got

I don't have a brother.                                                         I have not got a brother or I haven't got a brother.

Questions

have                                                                                    have got

Do you have a brother?                                                     Have you got a brother?

Don't you have a brother?                                                 Haven't you got a brother?

Have to, Had to

have to in affirmative sentences (Simple Present)

Example:

I/we/you/they have to get up early.

He/she/it has to get up early.

have to in negative sentences (Simple Present)

Example:

I/we/you/they do not have to get up early.

He/she/it does not have to get up early.

contracted forms:

I/we/you/they don't have to get up early.

He/she/it doesn't have to get up early.

have to in questions (Simple Present)

Example:

Do I/we/you/they have to get up early?

Does he/she/it have to get up early

had to in affirmative sentences (Simple Past)

Example:

I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they to get up early.

had to in negative sentences (Simple Past)

Example:

I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they did not have to get up early

contracted forms:

I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they didn't have to get up early.

had to in questions (Simple Past)

Example:

Did I/you/he/she/it/we/you/they have to get up early?

Put in have to or has to into the lines.

Example: I _________ get up early every day.

Answer: I have to get up early every day.

1) They_______ write a test.

2) She _______clean her desk.

3) Ken and Liz ________earn English words.

4) Andy_______ help his brother.

5) We __________do our homework.

6) He ___________write with a pencil.

7) I __________feed the hamster.

8) You_________ take photos.

9) Victoria___________ read the newspaper.

10) The teacher __________send a text message.