PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Present Sujeto + Sarah is in her The action is not Verbs that are not normally used:
continuous Am/si/are + ing car. She i son her finished. Now: Like, mean, need, prefer, know,
way to work. She actions that have realice, suppose, mean,
Negative: not is driving to work startes but not understand, believe, remembrer,
Question: sujeto finished belong, fit, contain, consist, seem
(are yo; am i; ) o
(what, why,
where).

How to make the Present Continuous Tense

The present continuous (sometimes called the present progressive) tense in English is really easy to make and is the
same for all verbs. We make it using the present simple of 'be' + verb-ing:

HERE IS HOW WE MAKE THE POSITIVE:

Positive Positive Short Form

I am sleeping I'm sleeping
you are sleeping you're sleeping
he is sleeping he's sleeping
she is sleeping she's sleeping
it is sleeping it's sleeping
we are sleeping we're sleeping
they are sleeping they're sleeping

We can make the negative by adding 'not':

Negative Negative Short Form

I am not sleeping I'm not sleeping
you are not playing you aren't playing
he is not reading he isn't reading
she is not working she isn't working
it is not raining it isn't raining
we are not cooking we aren't cooking
they are not listening they aren't listening
Questions are also really, really easy. Just like we made the question with 'be' in the present simple, here we also put
'am', 'is', or 'are' before the subject to make a 'yes / no' question:

YES / NO QUESTIONS
am I eating chocolate ?
are you studying now ?
is he working ?
is she doing her homework ?
is it raining ?
are we meeting at six ?
are they coming ?

FOR 'WH' QUESTIONS, JUST PUT THE QUESTION WORD AT THE FRONT:

WH QUESTIONS
Why am I eating chocolate ?
What are you studying now ?
When is he working ?
What is she doing ?
Why is it raining ?
Who are we meeting ?
How are they travelling ?
 1: First, we use the present continuous for things that are happening at the moment of speaking. These things usually
last for quite a short time and they are not finished when we are talking about them.

 I'm working at the moment.

 Please call back as we are eating dinner now.
 Julie is sleeping.

2: We can also use this tense for other kinds of temporary situations, even if the action isn't happening at this
moment.

 John's working in a bar until he finds a job in his field. (He might not be working now.)
 I'm reading a really great book.
 She's staying with her friend for a week.

Compare this with the present simple, which is used for permanent situations that we feel will continue for a long
time.

 I work in a school. (I think this is a permanent situation.)

 I'm working in a school. (I think this is a temporary situation.)

3: We can use the present continuous for temporary or new habits (for normal habits that continue for a long time,
we use the present simple). We often use this with expressions like 'these days' or 'at the moment'.

 He's eating a lot these days.

 She's swimming every morning (she didn't use to do this).
 You're smoking too much.

4: Another present continuous use is for habits that are not regular, but that happen very often. In this case we
usually use an adverb like 'always', 'forever' or 'constantly'. Often, we use the present continuous in this way to talk
about an annoying habit.

 You're forever losing your keys!

 She's constantly missing the train.
 Lucy's always smiling!

Future Uses

5: The next use is for definite future arrangements (with a future time word). In this case we have already made a plan
and we are pretty sure that the event will happen in the future.

 I'm meeting my father tomorrow.

 We're going to the beach at the weekend.
 I'm leaving at three.

We can't use this tense (or any other continuous tense) with stative verbs.
 PRESENT SIMPLE

Present simple Sujeto + verbo He is a bus To talk about

(he-she-it con s) driver: he dirves things in general.
a bus Something
happens all te
time or
repeatedly.
Permanent.

We need to use the Present Simple a lot in English, so it's really important to understand it well. Many students have
problems with the form (or how to make it).

 If you'd prefer to learn about how to USE the Present Simple jump to this page.
 Or, click here for all the practice exercises about this tense.

SIMPLE PRESENT TENSE WITH 'BE'

The verb 'be' is different from the other verbs in this tense. Let's look at 'be' first:

Here's the positive form (positive means a normal sentence, not a negative or a question. This is sometimes called
'affirmative')

Positive Positive Short Form

I am I'm
you are you're
he is he's
she is she's
it is it's
we are we're
they are they're

Next, here's the negative. It's very easy. You only add 'not'.

Negative Negative short form

I am not I'm not
you are not you aren't
he is not he isn't
she is not she isn't
it is not it isn't
we are not we aren't
they are not they aren't
And finally let's talk about the question form of the present simple with 'be'.

Firstly, here's the 'yes / no' question form:

YES / NO QUESTIONS
am I ?
are you ?
is he ?
is she ?
is it ?
are we ?
are they ?

If you'd like to make a 'wh' question, you just put the question word at the front:

WH QUESTIONS
where am I ?
what are you ?
why is he ?
who is she ?
when are we ?
how are they ?

PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE WITH OTHER VERBS

With all other verbs, we make the present simple in the same way.

The positive is really easy. It's just the verb with an extra 's' if the subject is 'he', 'she', or 'it'. Let's take the verb 'play' as
an example:

POSITIVE (OF 'PLAY')

I play
you play
he plays
she plays
it plays
we play
they play
 DON'T FORGET THE 'S'! Even really advanced students do this!
 For a few verbs, there is a spelling change before the 's'. For example, 'study' becomes 'studies'.

 There are also few verbs which are irregular in the present simple:
1. 'have' becomes 'has'
2. 'do' becomes 'does'
3. 'go' becomes 'goes'

To make the negative form, you need to use 'do not' (don't) or ' does not' (doesn't).

Negative (of 'play')

I do not play I don't play
you do not play you don't play
he does not play he doesn't play
she does not play she doesn't play
it does not play it doesn't play
we do not play we don't play
they do not play they don't play
How about the question form of the present simple tense?

We use 'do' or 'does' before the subject to make the 'YES / NO' QUESTION:

do I play ?
do you play ?
does he play ?
does she play ?
does it play ?
do we play ?
do they play ?

Just like with 'be', if you'd like to make a 'wh' question, you just put the question word at the front:

WH QUESTIONS
where do I play ?
what do you play ?
why does he play ?
who does she play ?
when do we play ?
how do they play ?
 1: We use the present simple when something is generally or always true.

 People need food.

 It snows in winter here.
 Two and two make four.

2: Similarly, we need to use this tense for a situation that we think is more or less permanent. (See the present
continuous for temporary situations.)

 Where do you live?

 She works in a bank.
 I don't like mushrooms.

3: The next use is for habits or things that we do regularly. We often use adverbs of frequency (such as 'often', 'always'
and 'sometimes') in this case, as well as expressions like 'every Sunday' or 'twice a month'. (See the present
continuous for new, temporary or annoying habits).

 Do you smoke?
 I play tennis every Tuesday.
 I don't travel very often.

4: We can also use the present simple for short actions that are happening now. The actions are so short that they are
finished almost as soon as you've said the sentence. This is often used with sports commentary.

 He takes the ball, he runs down the wing, and he scores!

Future Uses
5: We use the present simple to talk about the future when we are discussing a timetable or a fixed plan. Usually, the
timetable is fixed by an organisation, not by us.

 School begins at nine tomorrow.

 What time does the film start?
 The plane doesn't arrive at seven. It arrives at seven thirty.

6: We also use the present simple to talk about the future after words like ' 'when', 'until', 'after', 'before' and 'as soon
as'. These are sometimes called subordinate clauses of time.

 I will call you when I have time. (Not 'will have'.)

 I won't go out until it stops raining.
 I'm going to make dinner after I watch the news.

Conditional Uses

7: We use the present simple in the first and the zero conditionals. (See the conditionals section for more
information.)

 If it rains, we won't come.

 If you heat water to 100 degrees, it boils.
 PRESENT PERFECT

Present perfect Have/has + PP Tom is looking When we use the Diferencias:

for his key: he present perfect -Gone (to): ido. He has gone to
has lost his key. there is a Italy (he is there now)
connection with
now: the action -Been (to): visitado. She has been
in the past has a to Italy (she has now come back)
result now.
Claves:
Just  short time ago
I’ve just had lunch

Already  something happened

sooner tan expected
He’s already left

Yet  shows that the speaker is

expecting something to happen.
Only in questions and negative
Has it stopped rainking yet?

Period that continues until now:

Recently, in the last few days, so
far, since breakfast, this evening,
this morning, this year.

It’s the first time something has

happened: it’s the first time he
has driven a car (not drives)

Never happened something: He

has never driven a car before.

Has happened: this is the second

time this has happened (not
happens)

To make the positive present perfect tense, use:

 'have' / 'has' + the past participle

 Make the past participle by adding 'ed' to regular verbs (for example, 'play' becomes 'played')
 There are a few verbs that change their spelling when you add 'ed' (for example, 'study' becomes 'studied')
 We also have some completely irregular verbs

(Also, here's some help if you are not sure how to pronounce '-ed' at the end of a verb).
Positive Positive Short Form
I have played I've played
you have worked you've worked
he has written he's written
she has walked she's walked
it has rained it's rained
we have travelled we've travelled
they have studied they've studied

The negative is really simple too. Just put 'not' after 'have' or 'has':

Negative Negative Short Form

I have not eaten breakfast today I haven't eaten
you have not been to Asia you haven't been
he has not seen the new film he hasn't seen
she has not played tennis she hasn't played
it has not snowed this winter it hasn't snowed
we have not slept all night we haven't slept
they have not tried the food they haven't tried

To make a question, put 'have' or 'has' in front of the subject:

'YES / NO' QUESTIONS

have I missed the bus?
have you visited London?
has he worked as a waiter before?
has she met John?
has it been cold this week?
have we arrived too early?
have they studied English grammar before?
As you can imagine, for 'wh' questions, we just put the question word before 'have' or 'has':

'WH' QUESTIONS
where have I left my umbrella? why has it rained so much this summer?
what have you done today? what have we done?
why has he gone already? where have they learned English before?
where has she been in the UK?
 Unfinished Actions

1: We use this tense when we want to talk about unfinished actions or states or habits that started in the past and
continue to the present. Usually we use it to say 'how long' and we need 'since' or 'for'. We often use stative verbs.

 I've known Karen since 1994.

 She's lived in London for three years.
 I've worked here for six months.

'Since' and 'For'

We use 'since' with a fixed time in the past (2004, April 23rd, last year). The fixed time can be another action, which is
in the past simple (since I was at school, since I arrived).

 I've known Sam since 1992.

 I've liked chocolate since I was a child.
 She's been here since 2pm.

We use 'for' with a period of time (2 hours, three years, six months).

 I've known Julie for ten years.

 I've been hungry for hours.
 She's had a cold for a week.

Finished Actions
2: Life experience. These are actions or events that happened sometime during a person's life. We don't say when the
experience happened, and the person needs to be alive now. We often use the words 'ever' and 'never' here.

 I have been to Tokyo.

 They have visited Paris three times.
 We have never seen that film.

3: With an unfinished time word (this month, this week, today). The period of time is still continuing.

 I haven't seen her this month.

 She's drunk three cups of coffee today.
 I've already moved house twice this year!

We CAN'T use the present perfect with a finished time word.

 NOT:I've seen him yesterday.

4: A finished action with a result in the present (focus on result). We often use the present perfect to talk about
something that happened in the recent past, but that is still true or important now. Sometimes we can use the past
simple here, especially in US English.

 I've lost my keys (so I can't get into my house).

 She's hurt her leg (so she can't play tennis today).
 They've missed the bus (so they will be late).
 5: We can also use the present perfect to talk about something that happened recently, even if there isn't a clear
result in the present. This is common when we want to introduce news and we often use the words 'just / yet /
already / recently'. However, the past simple is also correct in these cases, especially in US English.

 The Queen has given a speech.

 I've just seen Lucy.
 The Mayor has announced a new plan for the railways.

Been and Gone

In this tense, we use both 'been' and 'gone' as the past participle of 'go', but in slightly different circumstances. We
use 'been' (often when we talk about life experience) to mean that the person we're talking about visited the place
and came back.

 I've been to Paris (in my life, but now I'm in London, where I live).
 She has been to school today (but now she's back at home).
 They have never been to California.

We use 'gone' (often when we are talking about an action with a result in the present) to mean that the person went
to the place and is at the place now.

 Where's John? He's gone to the shops (he's at the shops now).
 Julie has gone to Mexico (now she's in Mexico).
 They've gone to Japan for three weeks (now they're in Japan).
PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

How good are you at the Present Perfect Continuous tense? It's not a very common tense, and often it's not taught in
classes, but we do use it sometimes and it's very good to know how to make it, and to recognise it when other people
use it.

Luckily, it's very easy to make. Here's the positive (it's the present perfect of 'be' + verb -ing):

Positive Positive Short Form

I have been walking I've been walking
you have been running you've been running
he has been cooking he's been cooking
she has been swimming she's been swimming
it has been raining it's been raining
we have been studying we've been studying
they have been sleeping they've been sleeping

To make the negative, just add 'not':

Negative Negative Short Form

I have not been walking I haven't been walking
you have not been running you haven't been running
he has not been cooking he hasn't been cooking
she has not been swimming she hasn't been swimming
it has not been raining it hasn't been raining
we have not been studying we haven't been studying
they have not been sleeping they haven't been sleeping
Can you guess how to make the question form of the present perfect continuous? It's not very difficult - just put 'have'
or 'has' before the subject:

'Yes / No' Questions

have I been walking?
have you been running?
has he been cooking?
has she been swimming?
has it been raining?
have we been studying?
have they been sleeping?

For 'wh' questions put the question word first:

'Yes / No' Questions

what have I been doing?
where have you been running?
what has he been studying?
why has she been working today?
how long has it been raining?
how long have we been watching this film?
how long have they been living here?
 Unfinished actions

1: To say how long for unfinished actions which started in the past and continue to the present. We often use this with
'for' and 'since' (see the the present perfect simple page for more about 'for' and 'since').

 I've been living in London for two years.

 She's been working here since 2004.
 We've been waiting for the bus for hours.

This use is very similar to how we use the present perfect simple, and often it's possible to use either tense. Of course,
with stative verbs, we can't use the present perfect continuous.

 I've been here for hours.

 NOT: I've been being here for hours.

2: For temporary habits or situations. The action started in the past and continues to the present in the same way as
with use number 1, but we don't answer the questions about 'how long' so clearly. Instead, we use a word like
'recently'.

 I've been going to the gym a lot recently.

 They've been living with his mother while they look for a house.
 I've been reading a lot recently.

This is very similar to the use of the present continuous for temporary habits and often either tense is possible.

Finished actions

3: Actions which have recently stopped (though the whole action can be unfinished) and have a result, which we can
often see, hear, or feel, in the present. We don't use a time word here.

 I'm so tired, I've been studying.

 I've been running, so I'm really hot.
 It's been raining so the pavement is wet.

The present perfect simple has a very similar use, which focuses on the result of the action, whereas the present
perfect continuous focuses on the action itself. See my page here about the difference between the present perfect
simple and the present perfect continuous for more explanation.
PAST SIMPLE
The past simple is the most common way of talking about past events or states which have finished. It is often
used with past time references (e.g. yesterday, two years ago).

Please explain past events or states!

A past event could be one thing that happened in the past, or a repeated thing.

I stopped at a zebra crossing.

We carried on with the test.
We played tennis every day in August.

A state is a situation without an action happening.

We stayed at my grandparents' house last summer.

How do you form the past simple?

Regular past simple forms are formed by adding -ed to the infinitive of the verb.

start → started
kill → killed
jump → jumped

That seems easy!

Yes, but there are some spelling rules. If a verb ends in -e, you add -d.

agree → agreed
like → liked
escape → escaped

If a verb ends in a vowel and a consonant, the consonant is usually doubled before -ed.

stop → stopped
plan → planned

If a verb ends in consonant and -y, you take off the y and add -ied.

try → tried
carry → carried

But if the word ends in a vowel and -y, you add -ed.

play → played
enjoy → enjoyed

OK, not quite so easy! But the past simple form doesn't change at all for I, you, he, she, we and they, does it?

No, the form doesn't change. See, it is easy!

What about the pronunciation of the -ed ending?

There are three kinds of pronunciation: /d/, /t/ and /ɪd/. Look at the table below.
/d/ /t/ /ɪd/

arrived asked wanted

failed crossed decided

agreed stopped started

Aaagh! How do I know how to pronounce each one?

Good question. Well, really all you need to know is that /d/ is easier to say after arrive, and /t/ is easier to say
after ask. For /ɪd/, the infinitive ends in a /d/ or a /t/ sound already so you must add an extra syllable for these verbs.

All right, that makes sense, but how do you form questions and negatives?

With the verb did (do in the past) + the infinitive.

Did you pass?

You didn't fail, did you?
Yes, I did. / No, I didn't.

Right, thanks, I've got it now!

Good. But you also need to learn the irregular past simple forms.

You mean there are verbs that don't end in -ed in the past?

Yes, they don't all end in -ed. Have a look at the past simple irregular verbstoo.

Some verbs are irregular. Their past forms do not end in -ed.

So how do I know which verbs are regular and which are irregular?

You have to learn them!

Learn them from the list? Oh no!

It's not so bad. There aren't really so many verbs to learn and remember that English is much easier than many
languages. The past forms don't change.

I took a taxi to the airport. (take → took)

That was when we spoke. (speak → spoke)
One person gave me his last bar of chocolate. (give → gave)

I see what you mean. I made, you made, he made, she made, it made, we made, they made!

Exactly! They're all the same. And the negatives are all formed with did + not + the infinitive without to. The question
forms are very similar: did + subject pronoun + the infinitive without to.

What did you do all day in the airport?

Did you have enough food?
We didn't think you would get home in time for your birthday.

OK, you're right, that's not too bad. Are there any exceptions?
Yes the verb to be. The past form is was for I, he, she and it, but were for you, we and they.

It was horrible not being able to phone you two!

There wasn't any food. I was so hungry!
We were stuck in the airport.

So what about this verb list?

Right, here it is!

Present Past Simple Present Past Simple

be was / were begin began

break broke bring brought

build built buy bought

catch caught choose chose

come came cost cost

cut cut do did

draw drew drink drank

drive drove eat ate

fall fell feel felt

fight fought find found

fly flew forget forgot

freeze froze get got

give gave go went

have had hear heard

hold held hit hit

keep kept know knew

learn learnt leave left

lead led let let

Present Past Simple Present Past Simple

lie lay lose lost

make made mean meant

meet met pay paid

put put read read

ride rode run ran

say said see saw

sell sold send sent

set set shut shut

sing sang sit sat

sleep slept speak spoke

spend spent stand stood

steal stole swim swam

take took teach taught

tell told think thought

understand understood wake woke

wear wore win won

write wrote
 PAST CONTINUOUS

Past continuous Was/were + ing At 10.30 they To talk about

were playing actions or
tennis. They situations that
were in the haven’t already
middle of started before
playing. They had this time, but
not finished have not
playing finished: in the
middle of an
action.

Here's the positive form:

 I was sleeping
 you were working
 he was coming
 she was reading 'War and Peace'
 it was raining
 we were shopping
 they were watching a film

Next, here's the negative - it's very easy, just add 'not':

 I was not (wasn't) sleeping

 you were not (weren't) working
 he was not (wasn't) coming
 she was not (wasn't) reading 'War and Peace'
 it was not (wasn't) raining
 we were not (weren't) shopping
 they were not (weren't) watching a film

Here's an exercise about the positive and negative verb forms

And, just like the past simple with 'be', to make a 'yes / no' question, put 'was / were' in front of the subject:

 Was I listening?
 Were you working?
 Was she working?
 Was he living in Paris at the time?
 Was it snowing when you arrived?
 Were we eating?
 Were they studying?

To make a 'wh' question (of course) put the question word at the beginning:

 Why was I working?

 Where were you living?
 How was she travelling?
 Where was he going?
 Why was it snowing in the summer?
 What were we eating?
 Why were they studying?
 1: An action in the past which overlaps another action or a time. The action in the past continuous starts before and
often continues after the other shorter action or time.

 I was walking to the station when I met John. (I started walking before I met John, and maybe I continued afterwards.)
 At three o'clock, I was working. (I started before three o'clock and finished after three o'clock.)

2: In the same way, we can use the past continuous for the background of a story. (We often use the past simple for
the actions.) This is really a specific example of Use 1.

 The birds were singing, the sun was shining and in the cafés people were laughing and chatting. Amy sat down and
took out her phone.

3: Temporary habits or habits that happen more often than we expect in the past. We often use 'always', 'constantly'
or 'forever' here. This is the same as the way we use the present continuous for habits, but the habit started and
finished in the past. This thing doesn't happen now.

 He was always leaving the tap running.

 She was constantly singing.

4: To emphasise that something lasted for a while. This use is often optional and we usually use it with time
expressions like 'all day' or 'all evening' or 'for hours'.

 I was working in the garden all day.

 He was reading all evening.

Remember you can't use this tense or any continuous tense with stative verbs.
 PAST PERFECT

We don't use the past perfect a lot in English, but it is useful, and it sounds very good if you can use it correctly. Also,
it's really easy to make - just the past simple of 'have' and the past participle.

(Learn about USING the past perfect here)

The positive - make it with 'had' + the past participle (usually made by adding 'ed' to the infinitive, but a few verbs
haveirregular past participles):

(Also, here's some help if you are not sure how to pronounce '-ed' at the end of a verb).

 I had been (I'd been)

 You had gone (you'd gone)
 She had met (she'd met)
 He had played (he'd played)
 It had rained (it'd rained)
 We had bought (we'd bought)
 They had studied (they'd studied)

The short form for 'had' is 'd.

(Be careful not to confuse it with 'would'. Would is followed by the infinitive - 'I'd go', whereas had is followed by
the past participle - 'I'd gone').

For the negative just add 'not':

 I had not been (I hadn't been)

 You had not gone (you hadn't gone)
 She had not met (she hadn't met)
 He had not played (he hadn't played)
 It had not rained (it hadn't rained)
 We had not bought (we hadn't bought)
 They had not studied (they hadn't studied)

Here's a exercise about the positive and negative forms.

And to make a 'yes / no' question put 'had' before the subject:

 Had I come?
 Had you eaten?
 Had she gone?
 Had it rained?
 Had he studied?
 Had we met?
 Had they left?

For 'wh' questions put the question word at the beginning:

 When had I come?

 Why had you eaten?
 Where had she gone?
 When had it rained?
 Why had he studied?
 How had we met?
 When had they left?
 1: A finished action before a second point in the past.

 When we arrived, the film had started (= first the film started, then we arrived).

We usually use the past perfect to make it clear which action happened first. Maybe we are already talking about
something in the past and we want to mention something else that is further back in time. This is often used to
explain or give a reason for something in the past.

 I'd eaten dinner so I wasn't hungry.

 It had snowed in the night, so the bus didn't arrive.

If it's clear which action happened first (if we use the words 'before' or 'after', for example), the past perfect is
optional.

 The film started before we arrived / the film had started before we arrived.

2: Something that started in the past and continued up to another action or time in the past. The past perfect tells us
'how long', just like the present perfect, but this time the action continues up to a point in the past rather than the
present. Usually we use 'for + time'. We can also use the past perfect continuous here, so we most often use the past
perfect simple with stative verbs.

 When he graduated, he had been in London for six years. (= He arrived in London six years before he graduated and
lived there until he graduated, or even longer.)
 On the 20th of July, I'd worked here for three months.

3: To talk about unreal or imaginary things in the past. In the same way that we use the past simple to talk about
unreal or imaginary things in the present, we use the past perfect (one step back in time) to talk about unreal things in
the past. This is common in the third conditional and after 'wish'.

 If I had known you were ill, I would have visited you.

 She would have passed the exam if she had studied harder.
 I wish I hadn't gone to bed so late!
 PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

Here's how to make the past perfect continuous. It's 'had' + been (the past participle of 'be')+ verb-ing

Firstly, let's look at the positive form:

 I had been living

 You had been going
 She had been sleeping
 He had been working
 It had been raining
 We had been studying
 They had been cooking

The short form is: 'd been verb-ing. Be careful, because the short form for 'would' is also 'd. However, 'would' is always
followed by the infinitive, but 'had' is followed by the past participle.

Next, the negative form:

 I had not been trying (I hadn't been..)

 You had not been working (you hadn't been..)
 She had not been crying (she hadn't been..)
 He had not been shopping (he hadn't been..)
 It had not been snowing (it hadn't been..)
 We had not been reading (we hadn't been..)
 They had not been running (they hadn't been..)

It's pretty easy to make the question too.

'Yes / no' questions:

 Had I been working?

 Had you been sleeping?
 Had she been reading?
 Had he been watching TV?
 Had it been raining?
 Had we been drinking?
 Had they been eating?

'Wh' questions:

 Where had I been working?

 How long had you been sleeping?
 What had she been reading?
 How long had he been watching TV?
 How long had it been raining?
 What had we been drinking?
 Why had they been eating?
 1: Something that started in the past and continued up to another action or time in the past. The past perfect
continuous tells us 'how long', just like the present perfect continuous, but this time the action continues up to a point
in the past rather than the present. Usually we use 'for + time'. (We can also use the past perfect simple here, often
with stative verbs.)

 She had been working at that company for a year when she met James.
 I'd been walking for hours when I finally found the house.
 We'd been living in Berlin for three months when we had to leave.

2: Something that finished just before another event in the past. This is usually used to show a result at a time in the
past. It's very similar to the present perfect continuous, but the action finishes before another time in the past, rather
than finishing before the present.

 The pavement was wet, it had been raining. (The rain had finished before the time I'm describing in the past. We
could see the result of the rain.)
 The children had been playing and so the room was a mess!
 I'd been working before I saw you and that's why I was really tired.
 FUTURE

The simple future tense is very easy to make and is very useful.

Here's the positive form (it's just 'will' + infinitive):

 I will meet him later (I'll ..)

 You will come (you'll..)
 It will rain tomorrow (it'll)
 She will be late (she'll..)
 He will help us later (he'll..)
 We will get married in September (we'll)
 They will cook dinner (they'll..)

The short form: 'll is very, very common, and is almost always used when speaking. It's really much more natural to say
'I'll' instead of 'I will'. Here's some help with the pronunciation:

 I'll meet him later

 You'll come

 It'll rain tomorrow

 She'll be late

 He'll help us later

 We'll get married in September

 They'll cook dinner

Next, here's the negative form (just add 'not' - remember will not = won't):

 I will not go (I won't ..)

 You will not be late (you won't ..)
 It will not snow tomorrow (it won't..)
 She will not get the job (she won't..)
 He will not pass the exam (he won't ..)
 We will not come (we won't..)
 They will not stop (they won't ..)

Finally, here's the question:

'yes / no' questions:

 Will I go?
 Will you come early?
 Will it be cold?
 Will she dance?
 Will he arrive soon?
 Will we cook?
 Will they leave?
 'wh' questions:

 Where will I go?

 Why will you come early?
 When will it be cold?
 Who will she dance with?
 What time will he arrive?
 What will we cook?
 When will they leave?
 Will
1: We use the future simple with 'will' to predict the future. It is the basic way we talk about the future in English, and
we often use it if there is no reason to use another future tense. We can use it for future facts and for things that are
less certain.

 The sun will rise at 7am.

 I think the Conservatives will win the next election.

2: Promises / requests / refusals / offers. This is sometimes called 'volitional' will. It's about wanting to do something
or not wanting to do something in the future.

 I'll help you with your homework.

 Will you give me a hand?
 I won't go!

In a similar way, we often use 'will' when we're talking about a decision at the moment of speaking. We are usually
making an offer or promise or talking about something that we want to do.

 A: I'm cold. B: I'll close the window.

3: We use the simple future with 'will' in the first conditional, and in other sentences that have a conditional feeling.

 If it doesn't rain, we'll go to the park.

 Let's arrive early. That will give us time to relax.

Shall
'Shall' is used mainly in the forms 'shall I?' and 'shall we?' in British English. These forms are used when you want to
get someone's opinion, especially for offers and suggestions.

 Shall I open the window? (= Do you want me to open the window?)

 Where shall we go tonight? (= What's your opinion?)

Be going to
1: We often use 'be going to' to talk about our future intentions and plans. We have usually made our plans before the
moment of speaking.

 A: We've run out of milk. B: I know, I'm going to buy some.

2: We can also use 'be going to' to make a prediction about the future. Often it's possible to use both 'be going to' and
'will' but it's more common to use 'be going to' if we can see evidence in the present.

 Look at those boys playing football! They're going to break the window.
 The sky is getting darker and darker. It's going to rain.
 FUTURE CONTINUOUS

The future continuous tense isn't taught very much in English classes but, in fact, English speakers use it a lot. You will
sound much more natural if you master this tense.

Here's how to make it:

The positive (will + be + verb-ing):

At 10 am tomorrow,

 I will be sleeping
 you will be working
 she will be studying
 it will be raining
 he will be cooking
 we will be eating breakfast
 they will be travelling

In the same way as with the future simple, usually we use the short form ('ll be verb-ing) when we are speaking.

Sometimes students don't use the short form, because they are not sure how to pronounce it. Here are some
examples to help.

 I'll be sleeping

 you'll be working

 she'll be studying

 it'll be raining

 he'll be cooking

 we'll be eating breakfast

 they'll be travelling

Here's the negative:

When John gets home,

 I will not be working (I won't be ..)

 you will not be reading (you won't be ..)
 he will not be cooking (he won't be ..)
 she will not be studying (she won't be ..)
 it will not be snowing (it won't be ..)
 we will not be watching TV (we won't be ..)
 they will not be sleeping (they won't be ..)
 As with the positive, we usually use the short form (won't + be + verb-ing) when speaking.

Next, the question:

'yes / no' questions:

When arrives at the party,

 will I be cooking?
 will you be dancing?
 will she be singing?
 will he be eating?
 will we be drinking?
 will it be snowing?
 will they be talking?

'wh' questions:

Next weekend,

 what will I be doing?

 where will you be working?
 how will she be travelling?
 what will he be eating?
 why will we be studying?
 why will it be snowing?
 what will they be wearing?
 1: We use the future continuous to talk about an action in the future that overlaps another, shorter action or a time.
The action in the future continuous usually starts before and might continue after the second action or time. This is
very similar to how we use the past continuous in the past. The verb after 'when' is usually in the present simple.

 I'll be waiting when you arrive.

 At eight o'clock, I'll be eating dinner.

2: We can use the future continuous to talk about something that will happen if everything happens as we expect.
This is sometimes called future as a matter of course. It's usually possible to choose the future simple as well, but we
often choose the future continuous because then it's clear that we are not making a request or offer.

 The Government will be making a statement later.

 When will you be leaving? (This is more polite than 'when will you leave?' because it's definitely not a request for you
to leave.)

Remember, we can't use the future continuous with stative verbs, so if we want to use a stative verb in one of the
situations where we need to the future continuous, then we use the future simple with 'will'.
 FUTURE PERFECT

The future perfect tense is only used in a few situations, but it's still good to know it. Here's how to make it.

The future perfect is made with the future simple of 'have' (will have) and the past participle. For regular past
participles add 'ed' to the verb ('play' becomes 'played').

Here's the positive:

By six pm tonight:

 I will have finished this book

 You will have studied the English tenses
 She will have cooked dinner
 He will have arrived
 We will have met Julie
 It will have stopped raining
 They will have left Japan

For the short form, we change will to 'll. But, when we are speaking, we also make 'have' shorter, so it sounds like
I'll've finished (don't write this!). Here are some examples for you to listen to:

 I'll have finished this book

 You'll have studied the English tenses

 She'll have cooked dinner

 He'll have arrived

 We'll have met Julie

 It'll have stopped raining

 They'll have left Japan

Here's the negative:

By next week,

 I will not have finished this book

 You will not have studied the English tenses
 She will not have cooked dinner
 He will not have arrived
 We will not have met Julie
 It will not have stopped raining
 They will not have left Japan
 Here's the short form. Listen to how I shorten 'have' when I'm speaking:

 I won't have finished this book

 You won't have studied the English tenses

 She won't have cooked dinner

 He won't have arrived

 We won't have met Julie

 It won't have stopped raining

 They won't have left Japan

To make the question, just put 'will' before the subject:

'Yes / no' questions:

By next year,

 will I have finished writing this book?

 will you have studied all the English verb tenses?
 will she have graduated?
 will he have got married?
 will it have got colder?
 will we have met your boyfriend?
 will they have left their jobs?

'Wh' questions:

 When will I have finished writing this book?

 Why will you have studied all the English verb tenses by tomorrow?
 When will she have been here three weeks?
 Why will he have got married before June?
 Why will it have got colder by May?
 How will we have met your boyfriend by tonight?
 When will they have left their jobs?
 1: We use the future perfect to say 'how long' for an action that starts before and continues up to another action or
time in the future. Usually we need 'for'. We can also use the future perfect continuous here so we often use the
future perfect simple with stative verbs. If we use 'when', we usually need the present simple.

 When we get married, I'll have known Robert for four years.
 At 4 o'clock, I'll have been in this office for 24 hours.

Sometimes we could also use the present perfect in the same situation. But we like to use the future perfect to make
the time an easy number.

 I've lived here for 11 months and three weeks. (This is correct, but the time is not an easy number.)
 On Tuesday, I will have lived here for one year. (A much easier number.)

2: We use the future perfect with a future time word, (and often with 'by') to talk about an action that will finish
before a certain time in the future, but we don't know exactly when.

 By 10 o'clock, I will have finished my homework. (= I will finish my homework some time before 10, but we don't know
exactly when.)
 By the time I'm sixty, I will have retired. (= I will retire sometime before I'm sixty. Maybe when I'm fifty-nine, maybe
when I'm fifty-two.)
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

The Future Perfect Continuous Tense isn't used very much in English and it is a little complicated to make. However, at
higher levels it is great to understand it, and maybe use it sometimes too. It has a very precise meaning which can be
convenient.

Positive Form Positive Short Form

I will have been working I'll have been working
You will have been sleeping You'll have been sleeping
She will have been studying She'll have been studying
He will have been cooking He'll have been cooking
It will have been raining It'll have been raining
We will have been exercising We'll have been exercising
They will have been travelling They'll have been travelling

Negative Form Negative Short Form

I will not have been working I won't have been working
You will not have been sleeping You won't have been sleeping
She will not have been studying She won't have been studying
He will not have been cooking He won't have been cooking
It will not have been raining It won't have been raining
We will not have been exercising We won't have been exercising
They will not have been travelling They won't have been travelling

QUESTIONS
Where will I have been working?
Will I have been working?

Why will you have been sleeping?

Will you have been sleeping?

Where will she have been studying?

Will she have been studying?

What will he have been cooking?

Will he have been cooking?

How long will it have been raining?

Will it have been raining?

Where will we have been exercising?

Will we have been exercising?

How long will they have been travelling?

Will they have been travelling?
 1: Just like with the other perfect continuous tenses (and the future perfect simple), we can use the future perfect
continuous to say 'how long' for an action that continues up to another point in the future. The second point can be a
time or another action. Generally, we need 'for + length of time' and if we use 'when' or 'by the time', we usually use
the present simple.

 In April, she will have been teaching for twelve years.

 By the time you arrive, I'll have been cooking for hours!

In the same way as with the future perfect simple, we often use the future perfect continuous because we like easy
numbers. It's also possible to use the present perfect continuous, but then we get a more complicated number.

 I've been working here for 11 months and three weeks. (This is correct, but the time is not an easy number.)
 On Tuesday, I will have been working here for one year. (A much easier number.)

2: We can use the future perfect continuous, like the other perfect continuous tenses, to talk about something that
finishes just before another time or action (in this case, in the future). It's often used because there will be a result at
the second point in the future. (Again, if we use 'when' we usually need the present simple.)

 When I see you, I'll have been studying, so I'll be tired.

AGREGAR!

Matt phoned
Past continuous while we were
(i was doing) vs having dinner.
past simple (i
did) I saw you in the
park yesterday.
You were sitting
on the grass and
reading a book
Present perfect Have/has been + The ground is Activity that has
continuous ing wet. It has been recently stopped
raining or just stopped.
Present perfect I’ve been Present perfect When you ask or say “how long”
continous (i have painting my continuous: how the continuous is more usual
been doing) bedroom (estuve long (for
pintando…) = we something that is
vs are talking of the still happening)
activity.

present perfect (I I’ve painted my Present perfect: Use the simple with always.
have done) bedroom (he how much, how I’ve always lived in the country.
pintado…) = the many, how many
important thing times. Since[the start of a period: 8
is that something o’clock, Monday, 1999]
has been I haven’t seen Tom since…
finished.
For [a period of time: two hours,
six weeks, ages, years, a week]
She hasn’t phoned for…
QUESTIONS:

AUXILIAR + SUJETO + VERBO

DO/DOES – DID

HAVE/HAS / HAD

ARE YOU/ AM I/

WHY/HOW (OLD, MUCH, MANY, BIG, TALL)/WHAT/WHEN/WHO

LIKE

We can use as a verb and we can also use like as a preposition.

- LIKE AS A VERB (do/does)

Like  is asking about preference, things you enjoy

James likes playing footbal

Does James like playing football?

Do you like playing football?

What movie do you like?

- LIKE AS A PREPOSITION (to be)

Like  to ask for descriptions. It goes at the end of the cuesiton. We don’t use do or does; we use: what + to be +
subjet + like

What’s your house like?

What was your weekend like?

For the answer remember to use adjetives in your descriptions.

It was lovely, very relaxing!

ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

We can use them to describe daily routines; they can help us talk about how often we do something

I always drink coffe in the morning.

SOME COMMON AREAS WHERE WE USE TO BE.

Age How old are you? I'm 18.

Place Where are you from? I'm from Beijing.

Nationality What's your nationality? I'm Brazilian.

Health How are you? I'm very well, thanks.

People What's she like? She's really nice.

Prices How much is it? It's £3.50.

 PRESENT PERFECT VS PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

The present perfect simple suggests completion while the continuous suggests something is unfinished.

Present Perfect Simple and Present Perfect Continuous

We use the present perfect tense to talk about things where there is a connection between the past and the present.

 He’s written 16 books.

He started writing books at some time in the past. So far, he has written 16 books. He may write more books.

As well as the present perfect simple, we can use the present perfect continuous tense to talk about events with a
connection to the present.

1 Look at these 2 sentences:

 I’ve been decorating the house this summer. The focus is on the action – decorating – and the action is unfinished.

 I’ve painted the living room blue. The focus is on the finished result. The activity is finished but we can see the result
now.

We use the present perfect continuous when the focus is on an activity that is unfinished.

2 Look at these two sentences.

 I’ve read that book you lent me. I finished it yesterday.

 I’ve been reading that book you lent me. I’ve got another 50 pages to read.

The present perfect simple (I’ve read) gives the idea of completion while the present perfect continuous (I’ve been
reading) suggests that something is unfinished.

3 Look at these two sentences.

 She’s been writing emails for 3 hours.

 She’s written 10 messages.

The present perfect continuous (has been writing) talks about how long something has been happening. The present
perfect simple (has written) talks about how much/how many have been completed.

4 Look at these two sentences.

 I’ve worked here for thirty years.

 I usually work in London but I’ve been working in Birmingham for the last 3 weeks.

We can use the present perfect simple to talk about how long when we view something as permanent. But the present
perfect continuous is often used to show that something is temporary.
 PAST PERFECT

When we talk about something that happened in the past we sometimes want to refer back to something that
happened before that time. We can use the past perfect tense (had + past participle) to do this.

Look at these two sentences.

 John left the house at 7:30 yesterday morning.

 Mary rang John’s doorbell at 8:15 yesterday.

Both actions happened in the past so we use the past simple tense. But look at how we can combine the sentences.

 Mary rang John’s doorbell at 8:15 yesterday but John had already left the house.

We use the past perfect (had left) because the action happened before another action in the past (Mary rang the
doorbell.)

Look at some more examples of the past perfect.

 When Mrs Brown opened the washing machine she realised she had washed the cat.
 I got a letter from Jim last week. We’d been at school together but we’d lost touch with each other.

The past perfect is used because they were at school before he received the letter. It refers to an earlier past.

Look at these 2 sentences.

 James had cooked breakfast when we got up.

 James cooked breakfast when we got up.

In the first sentence, the past perfect tells us that James cooked breakfast before we got up. In the second sentence,
first we got up and then James cooked breakfast.

Past perfect continuous

The past perfect can also be used in the continuous.

 I realised I had been working too hard so I decided to have a holiday.

 By the time Jane arrived we had been waiting for 3 hours.

NOTE
The most common mistake with the past perfect is to overuse it or to use it simply because we are talking about a
time in the distant past.

For example we would not say

The Romans had spoken Latin

but rather

The Romans spoke Latin

because it simply describes a past event, and not an event before and relevant to another past event.
Remember that we only use the past perfect when we want to refer to a past that is earlier than another time in the
narrative.
PRONOMBRES